


Flight of Angels

by Twin_Kitten



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Dorms, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Flight School, M/M, Mistaken Identity, Reylo - Freeform, Stormpilot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-04-14 05:34:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 22,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14129202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twin_Kitten/pseuds/Twin_Kitten
Summary: Rey is mistaken for a male and is placed into a male dorm when she starts flight school (AKA trade-school/college). Kylo is not happy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Rey is mistaken for a male because of her name and is placed in the male dorms. Dorms are styled with two bedrooms and a common room between. Yeah, this is not how college/dorms work and I’ve never been to flight school, but go with it. However, I have heard of real life situations in high end gyms that have had problems with miss labeling sex/gender and having issues with locker room access. So it is possible.

Rey struggled to squeeze through the door to Building 21 as people walked through, her big duffle strap across her chest and her battered backpack between her shoulder blades. She smiled at everyone she passed and wasn’t too put off by the mixed reactions she got. Yes, it was all men, but it was aviation and aeronautics school and the ratio was heavily weighted towards men on campus. A few of the guys looked at her with waggling eyebrows and whistles, but she was used to that and ignored it. Some looked at her with shock and a bit of hostility, but she ignored that too.

 

She had been accepted on scholarship to her first choice school. Dorm and tuition was included, and she was promised an on-campus job to help with the other expenses like food and books. She was floating on cloud nine and no one was going to bring Rey down.

 

It didn’t matter that she had no family, no money, and no friends. She didn’t need that stuff. She was going to make it on her own. She had made it out of the foster system, she had made it through school with straight A’s, and she was going to make it through Flight School. Then, she would get a job with one of the airlines, and she would never go hungry again.

 

Despite the bags weighing her down, she practically skipped up the stairs to her assigned dorm. It was a co-ed building, there weren't enough women that they got their own building, but there were two female-only floors, so she wasn’t surprised that there were men in a variety of ages, ethnicities, and shapes. But they seemed surprised by her. She just smiled.

 

The first hint that something was wrong was when she reached what was supposed to be a female-only floor. It was crawling with men doing the same thing she was doing, locating their rooms and moving in.

 

Her brow creased in confusion as she checked the printout.  _ Building 21, floor 8, room 7. _ Stepping in front of a guy who seemed oblivious to her as he walked, she asked, “This is building 21, right?”

 

He paused, looked down at her curiously, then his brows rose slowly. “Uh.. Yeah. Are you helping someone move in?” He was a bit older than she would expect of a new recruit, had dark curling hair, skin tanned by genetics and sun, and soft brown eyes.

 

Eyes that were filling with confusion and concern when she shook her head. “No, I’m looking for my dorm.”

 

He bit his lip, looking at her then up and down the hall, taking a step back from the middle of the hall and tugging her with him. “Let me see your assignment?”

 

Separating the page from the other information in the packet, she handed it over, watching his eyes scan over it, brows rising and then muttering to himself. Then, “Shit…” He glanced at her and a light flush covered his forehead. “Sorry, ugh… I think they fuc-” He cut himself off from cursing and cleared his throat. “I think they messed up your assignment.”

 

Rey’s eyes narrowed, taking back the page and looking it over. “Why? What’s wrong with it?”

 

One side of his face scrunched up apologetically. “Well, I mean, you are a girl and this is a male dorm assignment.” He gave a soft huff of breath and shrugged. “Come on. I can let you in to put your stuff down while we call down to housing to fix this.”

 

He started walking and Rey was compelled by his aura of command, falling into step next to him. He glanced at her and grinned. “I’m Poe Dameron, by the way.”

 

“Ugh.. Rey Jakku.” She squeezed past a group of laughing men, and followed him to a door at the corner. “How do you know this is a male dorm room?”

 

He grinned, pulling a ring of keys out of his pocket. “Because its my dorm.” The door swung open to what looked like a small living room, a utilitarian set up with two 2-person couches, a battered chair, a TV that was possibly older than she was, and a small window. There was a tiny kitchenette in the corner behind the door, and Poe motioned casually for her to put her stuff down as he moved into the kitchen and grabbed a phone off the wall, tapping in only a few numbers. He was kind enough to leave the door open so she didn’t get uncomfortable.

 

Looking around as she heaved her bags onto one of the couches, Rey was annoyed that she wouldn’t get to stay here. It was a nicer set up than she’d ever had before. But it should be identical to a women’s dorm, right?

 

“Hey Mitaka, listen, I’ve got a girl here with the wrong dorm assignment.” Poe spoke into the phone with a casual familiarity. “Yeah, yeah, hold on.” Putting his hand over the mouthpiece, he waved Rey over from where she had been looking out the window. “Dorm page?”

 

Rey handed it over, leaning on the counter so she could sort of hear what was going on through the phone, her feet lifting slightly off the floor as she flexed her shoulders and braced her weight on the laminate.

 

“Ready? Okay, first name Rey; Romeo, Echo, Yankee. Last name Jakku; Juliett, Alpha, Kilo, Kilo, Uniform.” He glanced at her as if for confirmation and nodded as she gave him a thumbs up. “Yeah, man, she was assigned to our dorms.”

 

There was a response, a mix of exasperation and overworked uncertainty, and Poe rolled his eyes. “I know a girl when I see one.” There was a short response then the hum of hold music.

 

Rey chuckled, deciding she liked Poe; he hadn’t been gross or dismissive in the hall when she asked for directions, hadn’t hesitated to help her out when he saw a problem, and he clearly had a sense of humor based on what she had seen so far.

 

Just then, the door opened again, nearly hitting her and she gasped as a shirtless man walked in. Clearly he had been exercising; running shorts clung to his hips and thighs, his pale and scarred chest was shiny with dried sweat, and a damp pattern of hair in a dark trail led into his shorts. His black hair was stuck to his forehead and neck, another nasty scar bisecting the right side of his face, a sweaty shirt slung over his shoulder, water bottle in hand.

 

He took one look at her and scowled. “The fuck, Dameron, do you have to bring sluts to the dorm on day one?”

 

Immediately, Rey flushed with anger and embarrassment, glaring back just as hard as he was. She spluttered with the urge to say something, too shocked to form a response quickly, but Poe rolled his eyes.

 

“Cut it out, Kylo. There’s a mix-up in housing and I’m helping her out.” Still with the phone to his ear, he leaned close to Rey, dropping his voice slightly. “Ignore him, he’s garbage.”

 

The other man, Kylo, flipped him off and stalked to one of the doors, yanking it open and slamming it shut behind him. It felt like he took all the air with him, and Rey refused to shudder. “What is his problem?”

 

Poe gave her lazy shrug, “Egh, he’s grumpy pretty much all the time, but new people and routine changes push him to intolerable levels.” He nodded at the door the other man had slammed through. “Move-in day combines both.”

 

The hold music cut out and a tinny voice came through the phone.

 

Looks like this was a bigger problem than anyone thought. They wanted Rey to come down to the housing office. With a sigh, she gathered her things, shaking her head at Poe’s offer to leave her bags. There was no point in leaving them because she would just have to take them to a new dorm anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess where Rey ends up?

Three hours later, and Rey was no closer to getting a room assignment in the female dorms. Apparently the computer system had classified her as male because of her name, and not only were the people in the housing office unable to fix it, but even if they could fix the computer glitch, they couldn’t put her in a female dorm because they were full.

 

At first they acted like it was no big deal, saying that she could just get an apartment. She had argued, yelled, and generally been the kind of pain that all customer service workers hated, but she was hanging on by a thread and could not afford an apartment. After making calls to the financial aid office, the housing department, student services, and even legal, the scholarship office eventually called and told the housing office to figure something out ‘or else.’

 

So, they offered her a choice. She could stay in the dorm she had been assigned, with Poe Dameron, Kylo Ren, and another man she hadn’t met named Finn Storm, until they found a better solution. Or she could sleep on the couch in one of the female dorms with 4 strangers. As a foster kid, Rey knew the math on that. A bed with one cool dude, one grump, and one stranger was a better deal than four strangers and a couch, no matter what was between their legs. More people, more unknowns, meant more problems.

 

So they had called room 7, spoke to Poe, and walked her back. There were a few people still moving in, but for the most part, things seemed to have settled down in the halls, though behind doors things were probably still getting settled.

 

After knocking on room 7, Poe opened the door, and ushered them in. A young black man sat on one of the couches looking up in curiosity, Kylo was dressed differently, but still sporting a scowl as he leaned against the door jam to his room. She could only hope she wouldn’t have to share with him. She’d share a room with Poe or the stranger.

 

Poe had warned Kylo and Finn that Rey would be staying, and the housing official confirmed it. The older woman also made it very clear that, for everyone’s protection, if anything inappropriate happened between Rey and any of the men sharing the dorm, there would be official reprimands in their files. 

 

After the woman left, there was an awkward silence, until Finn spoke up. “Ugh, hey. I’m Finn. Your roomie.”

 

She took his offered hand and shook it firmly, “Rey.”

 

Poe chuckled, “Since you and Finn are first years, and me and Kylo have been dorm mates for a while, I figured it was easier if you two took a room and I bunked with him. That cool?”

 

Kylo rolled his eyes. “No, because I fucking hate you.”

 

As if this was a normal occurance, Poe smirked. “Love you too, shit-sucker.” He leaned over to Rey, “Sorry about the language.” He glared over his shoulder at the taller man. “Watch your mouth, we have a young lady living here now.”

 

“For fuck’s sake, I’m not changing because some  _ girl  _ moved in.” He snorted, marching over to stand in front of Rey, who had to crane her neck to look up at him. “You don’t get special privileges. No extra shower time, don’t leave your girly crap everywhere, and keep your fucking clothes on. First come first serve on the TV, and if we watch sports and not kissing movies, you don’t say shit about it.” At that Finn went wide eyed and stared at Rey from behind Kylo, mouthing the words  _ kissing movies  _ like it was the most unreal thing he had ever heard.

 

But Kylo just kept going. “Don’t try and set us up with your friends, don’t try and fix us or change us or use your womanly wiles on us. We cuss and stink and drink out of the carton. We’re not your fucking errand boys, brothers, or pseudo-boyfriends.” He punctuated what was apparently the end of his rant with a point of his finger at Rey, then at Finn, and finally at Poe who just scratched the back of his head and gave Kylo an incredulous look.

 

With that, he retreated to his and Poe’s room with a slam of the door.

 

The was a long moment of silence when the three of them just stared at each other and the closed door. Finally Rey started to chuckle. “That guy has  _ issues _ .” They dissolved into laughter, and all Finn could say was, “Kissing movies!” as he panted out deep belly laughs, while Poe wiggled his fingers and laughed about womanly wiles like they were magic spells.

 

After they got that out of their system, Poe and Finn showed her the room she would share with Finn, and the rest of the small double dorm. As they were settling into the common room, Poe cracked a beer for each of them, but hesitated when he got to Rey. “Hey um, not to be rude but… how old are you?”

 

Rey blushed. “Uh… Eighteen?”

 

Without another word about it, Poe kept the beer, and took it back to the kitchen, tossing her a bottle of water instead. They spent the next few hours chatting and getting to know each other, without more than a few sounds to show that Kylo was in the other room.

 

That night, she changed in the bathroom and crawled into her new bed, ignoring the soft breaths of the man in the bed a few feet away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo is even more of an ass, and Rey is done.

Two weeks later, Rey was settling in well with the guys, doing well in her classes, and liked her job in the shop. With one exception. Kylo Ren. He was the most infuriating man on the planet. How Poe just shrugged it off, she had no idea.

 

He stomped around, pissed at the world, and making decrees as if he owned the universe. On the Thursday after she moved in, he even started a list of ‘Rules for Rey’ on the back of the door using what looked like a big sheet of brown shop paper. Finn had been kind enough to scratch that out with red marker and write ‘Rey Rules!!!’ and Kylo had steam come out of his ears when he saw it.

 

_~~Rules for Rey~~ _

_ Rey Rules!!! _

 

_ 5 minute showers _

_ Wear clothes at all times _

_ No alcohol _

_ No drugs _

_ No boys _

_ No girls _

_ Stay out of Kylo’s room _

 

It seemed like every day there was something new added to the list. Rey didn’t know what happened in his childhood to make him such a weirdo, but she was getting sick of it. How was she going to last a whole year of this?

 

The third week, he came home to find her and Poe dancing together in the living room while Finn laughed and picked new songs. When they woke up the next day there were two new rules.  _ Music only with headphones _ and  _ No dancing _ . Poe scratched those out in blue and wrote,  _ This isn’t Footloose. _ A few days later, when Rey was rushing around and didn’t have time for a shower after her shift and before her physics class, she had spritzed herself with a light perfume to get rid of the engine grease and jet fuel smell. The next day?  _ No perfume. _

 

Week four had  _ Don’t take pictures in the dorm _ (when she took a selfie with Finn and Poe),  _ No stuffed animals, fluffy blankets, or girl pillows _ (when she accidentally left her favorite blanket on the couch after a movie night), and  _ Don’t use Kylo’s coffee cups _ (none of which were labeled so she had thought they were for everyone) show up on the big piece of paper.

 

Week five?  _ No scented hand soap _ , _ no candles _ ,  _ no wind-chimes _ , and  _ no bird feeders _ . All because she put a moisturizing liquid soap next to the sink in the bathroom. She did one thing and it was like he spiraled out of control, obsessed over what she might do next, and made up rules to try and prevent his own weird imaginings.

 

“Wind-chimes and bird feeders? I’m not Snow White!” She complained to the boys as they all settled in for a fairly quiet Friday night.

 

Poe had cast her a grin over the back of the couch where he was helping Finn with an airflow lesson. “Obviously. You are more Mulan.” She tossed her shoe at him and he ducked with a laugh, “See! Throwing shoes just like her. Just ignore him and do whatever you want. What’s he going to do about it?”

 

Finn nodded, “Yeah, I mean, we’ve got your back, and who would he even complain to? Housing? He would sound like a lunatic.”

 

That had been yesterday.

 

When she came out Saturday morning, still in her pajamas and in search of coffee, Finn grinned and casually pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the list. “Have you seen the latest?”

 

Rey’s hands buried themselves in her hair with a frustrated groan and she tugged hard enough to bring the world into focus again. This school was hard enough without having Kylo trying to ruin everything. She had tried being nice, and followed some of the more reasonable rules in an attempt to appease him, but this was really pushing it.

 

She turned without a word and stared at the new blocky print she had become familiar with as Kylo’s. How did he come up with this stuff?!

 

“That’s it. No more nice Rey.” She stomped over to the door he and Poe shared and, with a deep breath and an encouraging “You got this!” from Finn, she banged on the door as hard and loud as she could. Then she braced herself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey confronts Kylo, and we get his point of view.

 

Kylo Ren hated everyone.

 

There were very few that he tolerated, and even fewer he called friends. No one knew the depth and breadth of his life in its entirety, but if there was one person who came close to understanding him, it was Poe.

 

For all the shit they gave each other, and the resentment that Kylo kept hidden and pushed down deep, Poe was the closest thing he had to a real brother. They had known each other growing up, the way kids on military bases knew each other. Their parents had been friends, their fathers stationed together more than a few times, though nothing was ever permanent. Then, with their birthdays only a few months apart, they had joined the service together.

 

Again, their lives intersected and separated with regularity. Though they never knew when or where it would happen, they were never surprised to run into each other on a base or to find out one was being transferred with only a few days notice. Eventually, they ended up on the same team, same missions. They worked well together, and anything that kept Kylo from losing his cool was appreciated by the brass.

 

When they got ready to discharge, they were scouted by opposing flight companies around the same time, and thought that would be the end of it. Only to run into each other on campus during their first year. After some bitching, moaning, calling in favors, and bribing, they managed to end up dorm mates. Which was a good thing.

 

Because Kylo Ren hated everyone.

 

He hated Rey specifically right now. Because she disrupted his orderly life, which he needed to stay level. Because she seemed to make friends easily and he did not. And because she was a woman, and his experience of them had never been great.

 

His mother had been loving, but frequently absent. His first girlfriend had broken up with him after making fun of his nose and ears. The following string of female companions had been a mix of girls after his family connections, girls who thought they wanted a bad-boy, then fellow service members looking to scratch an itch or gain a favor.

 

After the accident that scarred his face and chest, even the women looking to scratch an itch or trade favors dried up. It had been at least five years since he last had sex, and even longer since he tried for a relationship.

 

If asked, Kylo would say he knew that not all women were the same. But his experience led him to an unconscious bias, and he ended up treating them all the same, to protect himself. Experience told him he didn’t want to live with a woman, so Rey was the enemy. The intruder. Encroaching on his territory. Messing up his carefully organized, controlled, and stable routine.

 

The day he met her, she was standing at  _ his  _ spot at the counter, talking to the man that was  _ his  _  best friend. His only real friend. Over the next few days, her presence wormed inside his brain the same way she was worming into Poe’s affection. He didn’t give a shit if Finn liked her, and the younger man clearly did. Actually it did bother Kylo, but he refused to think about it. But Poe? Kylo knew he was an ass, and deep down, he always thought Poe would eventually give up on him and find better, more deserving friends. He just didn’t think it would happen right in front of him, with a girl ten years their junior.

 

So he insulted her and avoided her.

 

But Kylo could only do so much since she was living with him. If she took showers longer than 10 minutes, the whole bathroom smelled different. Like her. He didn’t like it and he couldn’t avoid it.  _ She should only take five minute showers, just to be safe. _ He knew girls liked Poe, and Kylo wasn’t above admitting that Finn was objectively handsome. And he knew how girls behave around guys like Poe and Finn, prancing around half naked to get their attention.  _ She should be fully dressed or covered unless she was in the bathroom. _ If Rey was bad enough, he knew he didn’t want her bringing any boyfriends or girlfriends or anyone around.  _ No boys, no girls. _ Especially since Poe told him she was only eighteen.  _ No drugs or alcohol. _

 

So the list of rules was born. To help everyone.

 

Only to be undermined almost immediately by someone scratching out the title and writing  _ Rey Rules!!! _ in its place. But he tolerated it because the other three dorm mates seemed to recognize that the rules list was a good idea and mostly followed it.

 

Things started to get out of control when he came home from class one day to find Poe with his arms wrapped around Rey, the two of them swaying and dipping like lovers. Something about the way Poe touched her made Kylo angry. She was seducing Poe. It didn’t help when she sprayed herself with perfume and Kylo couldn’t concentrate for hours, and he swore he could still smell it days later. Pictures of her, Finn, and Poe started showing up on Poe’s feed, and he hated how they all crowded around to take stupid selfies the one time he saw them do it. He had flopped onto the couch after a long morning, and some fluffy contraption that pretended to be a blanket fell on his face and nearly suffocated him in the scent of Rey. He found his coffee cups in the sink, a hint of pink chapstick on the rim.

 

Last night had been the worst. It started with a green avocado sitting on the counter, and it slowly turned brown as it ripened over a few days. Not a big deal. Until Poe taught Rey how to open and eat it. Kylo had been sitting in the battered armchair unwilling to be driven out by her and unable to stop watching them out the corner of his eye.

 

Poe’s hands on her hands, guiding her knife to cut it into fourths. Then showing her how to peel the skin off with her thumb, the two of them laughing and licking the traces of green from their own fingers. Poe, showing her how to cut it into long slices, and making her eat one before they turned the rest into guacamole. She had sucked the slippery green slice into her mouth without hesitation, her lips pursed as she did, and then her face turned thoughtful as she tasted an avocado for the first time.

 

And in an instant, he realized why he hated her.

 

Because he didn’t hate her.

 

His cock strained against his zipper, Kylo pressing the edge of his hard textbook against it in hopes the pain would make the erection go away, and he realized the truth. He wanted her. All his rules had been to keep other men away from her, to keep them from noticing her, to stop them from wanting to touch her. He didn’t want Poe dancing with her, because  **he** wanted to be the one dancing with her. He wanted to be in the selfies, and the movie nights, and wanted her lip prints on his coffee cups for a different reason. He wanted to be the one putting new foods in her mouth.

 

Putting himself in her mouth.

 

_ Fuck. _

 

He hadn’t slept well that night, so the harsh sound of pounding on the door, early for a Saturday, already had his face set in a grim expression, ready to kill.

 

But when he whipped the door open, wearing nothing but his snug boxer-briefs and a loose tank-top, he was surprised to see the fuming face of the girl who had been floating through his head all night.

 

Her eyes held none of the surprise and disorientation that his did, and all the fury. Maybe double the fury, if her flushed cheeks and crossed arms were any clue. “No avocados? Are you insane?”

 

Staring at her blankly, bleary eyed and yawning, he stepped back and started to close the door on her. But she slammed her hand against it with surprising force, wedging herself in so he couldn’t shut it.

 

“You can’t tell me I’m not allowed to have food, Kylo.”

 

He grunted, and tried to push her back without actually touching her, which didn’t really do anything but wiggle the door between them.

 

She glared at him. “No, you colossal ass-hat, we need to talk about your ridiculous rules.”

 

“Go away. You aren’t allowed in my room.” Grumbling his words, he refused to to meet her eyes as he hoped like hell that his cock didn’t choose this moment to say hello.

 

“Oh my god, what are you, twelve?” Her rolled eyes combined with her exasperated tone, and he felt about three inches tall.

 

Poe chose that moment to pipe up from his bed, sitting up but leaned back on his elbows, his blankets falling to reveal he slept shirtless. “You can come into  _ my  _ room, Rey.” His hair was tousled and the man’s eyes were sleepy and heavy lidded. Kylo nearly punched him in the face for looking like that while inviting Rey in.

  
“Thank you, Poe,” Rey’s face turned fond as she looked at the other man and Kylo growled. She glared at him. “At least there is  one gentleman living in this room.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey rips Kylo a new asshole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, but this took a while and a few re-writes to get the way I wanted it and it's still a bit short. If my life would stop ambushing me, that would be great.

Kylo immediately turned his glare on Poe, refusing to meet Rey’s eyes, “Seriously? You are going to take her side?”

 

Poe’s words were slowly becoming less and less sleepy as he woke up, “Her side of what? That rules list?” He nodded, rubbing his eyes lazily. “Yes, it’s dumb.”

 

Rey nodded her head as if she had won a battle, pushing the rest of the way into the room. Kylo immediately backed off, but he definitely wasn’t  _ fleeing from her, _ moving across the room and behind his bed as Rey stalked in. He quickly scrounged up his pants from yesterday as he glared at her. “Who the fuck do you think you are?!”

 

Poe groaned, flopping back on the bed. “Language!”

 

“WHOM the fuck!!” Kylo roared back, his zipper scraping uncomfortably against his crotch as he tried to get his pants on as quickly as possible while avoiding eye contact with Rey.

 

He glanced down to try and adjust himself and a moment later he felt small hands plant themselves on his chest and shove. Off balance, he stumbled, tripped over the loose leg of his jeans, and then fell, half-on and half-off his bed.

 

He found himself looking up at a furious Rey, her face flushed pink and her body practically vibrating with anger. “Who the fuck am I? I’m Rey FUCKING Jakku, that’s fucking who!”

 

She stalked closer, bending over him. “Now you listen here, you little shit.” Her finger stabbed into his chest as she spoke looming over him in a way that he never expected her to be capable of. “I’ve survived worse than you. I didn’t give up on myself when I was in foster care, or when I got beat on, or when I was homeless.”

 

She was breathing hard, but she pulled back not breaking eye contact as she visibly tried to calm herself. She took a deep breath, pushed a few hairs off her face, and smoothed her pajamas. When Rey spoke this time, her voice was slow and pitched low, though he could still hear the heavier breaths of exertion from being angry. “So I don’t care if you are 7 feet tall, and made of muscles, and scarred up like the devil himself. You, Kylo FUCKING Ren, do not scare me.”

 

With a nod of her head, she turned in a nearly perfect pivot, and stalked out of the room. A moment later, he heard the sound of ripping paper and rending tape that signalled she had torn down the list of rules he had put up.

 

Poe sighed flopping back down to lay flat. “Dude. I love you like a brother, but you might be the biggest asshole on the planet. if even one of those things is true, you owe her like 8 million apologies...” With a soft grumbling sigh, he pulled his blankets back up, and closed his eyes, clearly going back to sleep.

 

Slumping to the floor, Kylo tried to shake off the whiplash he just got from that encounter. “Yeah… Yeah, I guess.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo tries to make things better, but actually makes things worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate how long this took me, please forgive. We've been buying a house and I've been working 10-12 hour days 6 days a week because April sucks. Kill me, lol. But I've finally got another chapter and things should settle down in May... *fingers crossed* Wish me luck.

Kylo spent the weekend brooding in his room, thinking of what to do, and avoiding the other roommates. He had to decide how he wanted to feel about Rey before he decided how to move forward. Kylo was a planner. He had spent his days cruising the internet for ideas, and his nights tossing and turning with his thoughts.

 

He could hear Rey and Finn out in the common areas, and Poe would come into their shared bedroom now and then, but other than to use the bathroom and grab food when he thought no one was in the living room, Kylo hid himself away.

 

Monday afternoon he left an avocado, with a gift wrap bow and a sticky note that said ‘sorry’, outside Rey’s door. Poe came in and gave him a thumbs up that night when they were going to bed, but he didn’t get to see Rey. Not that he wanted to.

 

Tuesday, he gave Finn a gift card for a coffee shop with the instruction to give it to Rey. Finn had given him a dirty look and moved about his day, but after that, he didn’t glare at Kylo every time he saw him.

 

Wednesday, he went to the fancy perfume and bath soap store at the mall and nearly died of embarrassment. Kylo, in black jeans, a grey shirt, and his scuffed black boots stood out in the bright cheery atmosphere.

 

When he skulked into the store trying not to draw attention to himself, he immediately regretted even trying this. A perky blonde girl in an apron greeted him with a voice that was grating with how falsely pleasant it was, her eyes lingering too long on the scarred side of his face.

 

“Um. I just need perfume.” Kylo looked around, shocked and overwhelmed by the amount of products on the multitude of shelves, tables, and other displays that seemed to go from the floor to the ceiling and stretch from the doors to the back wall. There were spray bottles, squeeze bottles, tubes, candles, soaps in all different shapes, and a bunch of things he couldn’t even identify.

 

“Awesome! Our products are sorted by scent and you will find perfumes next to their matching lotions, body washes, and body shimmers. We currently have a sale-” She motioned to one of the walls, seeming to point out the items but she went so fast, and she was talking so much, he didn’t understand.

 

Interrupting her, he shook his head, “I need a gift for a girl.”

 

The shop worker nodded, but just kept on talking. “We can help you with that. Do you know what scent she would like? I can help you find it.”

 

He grimaced. He had no idea what Rey would like, or even if she would like anything. So he shrugged. “Look, i just need something to say sorry.”

 

Almost immediately, the woman’s face softened. “Ah, ok, how old is she?”

 

Rubbing a hand over the back of his head, he looked around the store and didn’t notice how the girl’s eyes lingered on the curve of muscle in his arm or drifted to the flat ripple of his abs that were exposed when the hem lifted. “She’s eighteen.”

 

“Okay, well most of our younger clients seem to like this scent. It’s called Sandy Shores.” Without warning, she grabbed a bottle and spritzed it in the air and he flinched, pulling back to avoid the mist. A second later the smell hit him and he shook his head.

 

“Stop.” His nose twitched at the too strong odor, and he took a step back, glaring at her. “You can go.” All his insecurities vanished when confronted with the exact kind of woman he hated, and he glared at her with the dark glower he was famous for around the campus.

 

The young woman blinked and shrank away from him, her voice both chipper and apologetic. “Ok, if you need any help I’ll be-”

 

“I will not need any help.” Without another word he turned his broad back on her and waited until he heard her walk away. When she did, he sighed in relief.

 

Only to tense up when he focused on the display in front of him, instantly overwhelmed again. But unwilling to admit defeat after dismissing the girl, he reached for a bottle and read the description then sniffed it hesitantly.

 

Polaris Sky… Kylo immediately sneezed and put it back on the shelf reaching for another, less sparkly bottle.

 

Fairy Crown smelled like dusty potpourri. Lemon Ocean was like floor cleaner. Blue Dream Girl was sickeningly sweet. It went on like that for rows until he found one that didn’t offend his senses, since he would theoretically have to smell it if Rey accepted it. In the back corner of one display, he found a pale yellow bottle with the picture of a bumblebee on the label. Honeysuckle Bumblebee. It was light, slightly sweet, and didn’t make him dizzy.

 

Looking over the signage near the display, he found the price, discounted for clearance, and saw a few other matching products. In a moment of what he thought was brilliance, because he was sure to piss off Rey again in the future, he grabbed the matching lotion, a clear body wash, and what looked like a solid soap.

 

Carrying his prize to the counter, he paid with his credit card and a slightly less irritated expression for the girl at the register. Just as she was bagging up his stuff, he saw the first girl come back from what must have been her break. She gave him a hesitant look, turned into what he assumed was the breakroom and he heard hushed whispers start with someone else. Narrowing his eyes, he instinctively tuned in as he walked past the door on his way out.

 

Her voice was pitched softly but filled with aggravation and a heavy dose of bitterness. “No wonder he has to buy stuff to make a girl like him. With a face and personality like that-”

 

Kylo felt his ears get hot, and stormed out of the mall, slamming the door on his Porsche Silencer and flinging the bag into the passenger seat. He drove back to campus with all the delicacy of a bear on a rampage, and his expression and stomping feet made everyone clear the way as he headed up to the dorm.

  
When he slammed the door to the small living space, a hurricane of self-loathing and furious embarrassment, he didn't even notice Rey sitting on the counter eating a yogurt cup. He dropped the bag of scented supplies and ran his hands through his hair, pulling the strands as he roughed himself up. Growling and grumbling, muttering under his breath about the experience, he turned to level a kick into the cabinets, and found himself face to face with Rey, mere inches between them.   
  
She was wide eyed, her face tight with fear and her body posture ready to either run or fight at the first chance she got. Before he could think of what to say, the heel of her hand slammed up into his nose, sending sharp pain and blinding him for a moment, and he jerked away as his hands flew up to his face.   
  
He heard the door to the bathroom slam shut and binked to clear the watering from his eyes, fingers pinching his nose to stop the blood flowing down his face and neck. Still dazed he stumbled over to the door and knocked.   
  
He spoke quickly, his voice higher pitched and nasal. "I wasn't trying to... I didn't know you were there."

 

“Fuck off, Kylo!”

 

Grunting softly in pain, he moved back to the bag he had dropped and then set it outside the door. “Yeah, I’ll go... I’m really really sorry, Rey.” Then he gently touched the door, before hurrying out the front door, ignoring the blood sprinkling the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, huge shout out to Hp, who has commented on every chapter! I laughed as I followed your reactions to each chapter, so thank you so much for brightening my day!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The after math, from Poe's perspective.

Poe spilled into the small dorm, laughing as his arm caught around Finn’s shoulders. The two of them had planned an early dinner, going to order takeout and spend the rest of the night studying. Despite having several years between them and different levels of classes, Finn was very useful for figuring out some of the technical language in Poe’s flight manuals, and Poe helped Finn with the more delicate aspects of strategies for airborne combat.

 

They chuckled together until Poe’s boot slipped in something on the floor. Catching himself thankful to his quick reflexes, he looked down and his face immediately went pale. “Shit.”

 

Finn followed his gaze and his eyes widened. Both of them shouted at the same time, “Rey?!” “Kylo!?” And darted to their respective doors.

 

Finn opened his door to find the room empty. He darted out just as the bathroom door creaked open, and he rushed over and scooped Rey up in a tight hug. Poe’s arms wrapped around both of them in an odd triple hug as he peered over Finn’s shoulder.

 

“Are you okay?” Both of them were talking in a jumble and over each other. “What happened?”

 

Finn pulled back and Poe was forced to follow, Finn holding her shoulders as he looked her over for injury, Poe circling her to check if she was hurt.

 

Rey proceeded to tell them how Kylo had stormed in, started kicking the crap out of the kitchen, and how she nearly got caught in the crossfire. And how she punched him. “That’s Kylo’s blood?” Poe’s voice was pitched a bit higher than normal, a mix of surprised and impressed as his eyebrows rose. She nodded, ducking her head a smiling sheepishly, but Poe only laughed. “Well, okay then.”

 

Finn smirked, “It’s about time someone punched him. Please tell me you got that big honking nose?”

 

“Hey! Be nice.” Rey scrunched her face, wrinkling her nose at him but then broke into a small smile. “I might have...”

 

Poe could feel his eyebrows lifting even higher on his forehead. After almost being attacked by Kylo, punching him in the nose, and hiding in the bathroom afterwards, she was defending his nose? He would need to investigate.

 

“Okay, I’m gonna go find him. You got this?” He pointed at Finn as he backed towards the door. Finn nodded and started immediately fussing over Rey, just as Poe tripped over a bag that had been kicked around the floor. “What is this?” He bent down, snagged the string handle, and stood while peering inside, all in one fluid motion. “Did you go shopping?”

 

Glancing over, she shook her head. “Kylo came in with it. What is it?”

 

Poe pulled each item out, reading the label before handing it over. Today was full of surprises. He chuckled, as Rey looked at it all with confusion.

 

“Why does he keep buying me stuff?” She sniffed at one of the bottles, and judging by her face, she was pleased. “I mean, it’s nice, but, why?”

 

Poe sighed. “His parents…” He cleared his throat, changing the direction of his thoughts. “Kylo… he doesn’t really…” Poe awkwardly huffed, trying to laugh it off, but it was clearly forced. “I think he’s trying to apologize?”

 

Finn snorted. “That’s what the gift cards and stuff are?” He rolled his eyes, “That guy has issues.”

 

“Cut it out Finn.” Rey shook her head, turning to Poe, “But he already said sorry when he left me that avocado.”

 

Poe shrugged, not wanting to say anything else until he talked to Kylo. He liked Rey, but Kylo and Poe were closer than family, and if something was going on with him, Poe wouldn’t betray that. “I gotta go, but I’m pretty sure he wants you to have that stuff.”

 

Rey was still looking at the bag of bath supplies in confusion, talking softly with Finn, when Poe left. Knowing Kylo like he did, Poe knew there were a few places he needed to check before calling in the cavalry.

 

He headed to the on-campus pharmacy first, since Kylo had been bleeding when he left the dorm. Sure enough, he had been there, and had scared the crap out of the pharmacy tech. After assuring the young lady that he would find his friend. Next, he headed to the nearest bathroom, where he found the gauze and skin tape packaging and signs that Kylo had cleaned himself up. Poe knew he was close behind, but now he had to choose where to  go next. The gym or Hux’s apartment.

 

Poe was not a fan of Hux. The snobby redhead had tried to recruit him at the same time he recruited Kylo, but Poe didn’t like the vibe of First Order Flight Company and no amount of money could sway Poe’s gut, but Kylo had liked them and signed up. Personally, Poe thought being trapped in a classified desert and being no-contact with his family (thanks to another disagreement with his father) had made Kylo vulnerable to FOF’s manipulations.

 

Although Poe hoped Kylo was at the gym, he decided to bite the bullet and visit Hux’s first. Poe didn’t back down from a challenge.

 

But the knot of tension in his stomach tightened when he rode the glass and chrome elevator up to the high rise, and he could feel a headache starting when the tall skinny silhouette approached the frosted glass door. This apartment was pretentious as fuck.

 

Hux’s face went from neutral to veiled disdain in an instant. “What do you want?”

 

“Is Kylo here?” Poe followed Hux’s lead and didn’t bother with pleasantries or greetings.

 

The redhead sighed. “No. But if he was, I wouldn’t tell you.”

 

Poe rolled his eyes, and turned to leave, but was stopped by Hux’s voice. “Do I need to be concerned that you don’t know where your  _ alleged  _ best friend is?”

 

A deep primal instinct warned Poe that there was something hidden in Hux’s words, even under the obvious venom and insult, and he turned after a second of hesitation choosing his words carefully. “Nah, some girl punched him in the nose and he’s hiding out.” He was careful not to  mention Rey or any other details, and tried to play it off as casually as he could, as if Kylo were just embarrassed or possibly hiding from the campus police for a bit.

 

Hux just hummed and shut the door without another word and Poe gratefully headed for the elevator again. With sigh, he called Finn. “Hey. You and Rey should go ahead and eat. I’m heading to the Supremacy Gym and it looks like it’s going to take a while.”

 

_ “Need any help?” _

 

“Nah, he gets like this sometimes. I can talk him out of it.”

 

When he reached the gym that Kylo liked to use, because of course the on campus gym wasn’t good enough for him, it was immediately obvious he was here. The gym attendant, Kaydel, knew him and motioned towards the heavy bags and kickboxing area, and Poe gave her a nod of thanks.

 

When he walked through the arch separating the free weights from the fighting equipment, he stopped and stared in shock.

 

Rey had beat him here.

 

She was standing between Kylo’s legs as he sat on a low bench, her hands cupping his face as she spoke softly. Poe couldn’t hear what she was saying, but Kylo was looking up at her like she was a glass of ice water in a never ending desert. Poe had never seen that expression on his face and it shook him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened in the gym....

Rey had left a sputtering and confused Finn back at the dorm, grabbing her keys and tiny purse slung across her chest, the moment she knew where Poe was headed to try and find Kylo. She was the reason he was upset, she should fix it.

 

She found the Supremacy Gym without much trouble, a large gym with multiple zones, but clearly it catered to a certain type of person. There wasn’t very much cardio equipment, it didn’t seem very heavy on amenities like a pool or spa, but instead it had a massive weight machine section, a big free weight area, and where she found Kylo, a fighting area with all kinds of heavy bags, speed bags, punching dummies, and even a ring and wrestling area.

 

Kylo was a hulking presence at one side, in loose black pants and a white tank top, his hands wrapped as he tried to murder the big red punching bag hanging from the ceiling beams. His back was to her and all she could see was his shaggy hair moving and swaying, some of it stuck to the sweat on the back of his neck, the corded muscles in his shoulders and arms that were exposed by his shirt, and his stiff angry posture.

 

Not knowing exactly what she would see on his face, or how he would react, she circled him with a bit of distance, moving into his line of sight and letting him see her a bit more naturally so that she didn’t surprise him.

 

He saw her just as his fist collided with the red bag and he paused, grabbing the bag as it swayed. Then he turned away, tugging at the wrapping on his hands.

 

Rey followed crossing her arms over her chest. “Kylo…”

 

He refused to look at her even as she moved in front of him, standing on the other side of the bench where he had apparently put his gym bag and water bottle.

 

“We live together, you can't just ignore me.”

 

He glanced at her, then turned his back on her to sit on the bench. “I'll move out.”

 

Rey blinked in shock, feeling oddly hurt. Which made no sense; she should be relieved to see him leave after all the trouble he had given her. But she didn't like it. “You don't have to…”

 

He snorted and she watched the play of muscles across his back as he continued unwrapping his hands, sighing and walking around the bench again so that she was in front of him.

 

“I don't understand. First that -” Rey paused, trying not to say crazy, “rules list, then you keep buying me things? You flip out and I punch you, and I'm sorry about that, but now you are moving out?” She shrugged, her hands moving helplessly. “Explain it to me…”

 

“There's nothing to explain. Moving out is a better option; you don't have to report me and get me kicked out.” His voice was sullen and he still reused to really look at her. He had finished with his hands but clearly couldn't do anything else without bringing him in more contact with her.

 

“I'm not going to report you.”

 

His head shot up, pointing her with a glare that mixed anger and confusion. “Are you stupid? I attacked you!”

 

Rey stared at him, then shook her head. “I don't think you did. You were upset.”

 

Still tense and defensive, he scoffed, and she pushed, her hand sliding onto his shoulder without a thought. “Kylo… What happened?” He stiffened under her palm and for a moment she thought he would lash out.

 

But in a long moment, that somehow was both an eternity and an instant, something shifted and he relaxed, looking up at her. “You shouldn't be nice to me, Rey…” He turned away, head dipping again, sagging between his shoulders. “I'm garbage. Nothing.”

 

Rey had been in the system and had heard more than enough to know the difference between someone who was a bad person and someone who had been forced to believe it. Someone had convinced Kylo that he was no good, and now he believed it.

 

With a breath and a moment, her hand slid from his shoulder to the back of his head, fingers threading through his hair as she gently coaxed him to look up at her. “You aren't garbage.”

 

As he stared up at her, she got the feeling this was the first kind touch he had felt in a long time. The way his eyes softened, his face almost vulnerable and innocent despite the scar cutting through the pale skin. He looked younger with this expression, as if he weren't the hardened and angry man she had seen for weeks and was instead a young man who felt lost and alone. Someone who needed a friend.

 

His eyes searched her face, clearly wanting to believe her but doubting. Feeling a bit more confident now that he hadn’t lashed out, her other hand cupped his jaw, her thumb stroking his scarred cheek as her hand stroked his hair back off his forehead.

 

“Rey, I…” His voice cracked and he swallowed, looking up at her with his big dark eyes. “I’m sorry. About...”

 

Interrupting him, she smiled, trying to reassure him that she wasn’t mad. “You don't have to keep apologizing, and you don't have to buy me things…” Rey smiled brightly. “You can keep being nice, though. I like that.”

 

He exhaled slowly, a hint of a smile on his face. “Yea?”

 

“Rey? Kylo?”

 

Both of them jolted in surprise, Rey’s hands pulling away from his face as Kylo shot to his feet, suddenly only inches between their chests as he stood protectively in front of her, looking over his shoulder at the owner of the voice.

 

Poe.

 

“Are you guys…. Okay?” Poe was staring at them as if they were feral cats that at any moment would either run, attack each other, or attack him.

 

Glancing up at Kylo, the hard line of his jaw flexing as he grit his teeth, his hard and angry expression back in force, she sighed and barely restrained rolling her eyes. “Yeah, Poe… We are fine.” The back of her fingers brushed against Kylo’s hand, pulling his attention down to her again. “Aren’t we?”

 

His eyes lightened fractionally and he nodded gruffly. “Yea… Yea, we’re good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know these are short, but I'm going to try and start making them longer after this. Enjoy!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So... Movie night.

Rey left the gym with an awkward smile and a wave, while Poe stayed behind with Kylo.

 

The smaller man smirked the minute Rey was out of sight. “Soooo… Rey, huh?”

 

Where Kylo had been packing up his things, he went still, looking at Poe through the fringe of his hair. “What do you mean?”

 

His best friend grinned, his hands on his hips. “You like her.”

 

“No!” Kylo jerked his bag over his shoulder. “I mean, she… You like her!”

 

Poe snickered, following him through the gym with a casualness that made Kylo feel like an idiot, like a gawky teenager again, clumsy and broken and too big. “Nice come back. Yeah, I like her,” He shrugged, “so what? You  **like** her.”

 

Kylo kept his grumble low and stalked towards the doors, to lost in his own misery to really understand what Poe was saying.  _ Of course Poe likes her. Rey’s smart and tough. She’s funny, and people like her, and she is so fucking beautiful it hurts. He’s probably not asking her out because I’ve been so awful, and he thinks she would say no because he’s my friend, but no one ever says no to Poe. _ “So ask her out and leave me alone.” He growled.

 

“Jeez man, you really don’t get it.” Poe laughed clapping him on the shoulder and swinging around to step in front of him. “I’m not into her that way, I’m into… Someone else.” He shrugged his shoulders resettling his jacket, “So if you like Rey, you need to man up.” Poe turned to go, but the paused, looking over his shoulder. “For what it’s worth, I think she likes you too. So guess what? You are coming to movie night tonight.”

 

Kylo watched Poe walk away after dropping that bomb, before climbing into his car and sitting in silent thought for nearly 15 minutes before he was able to gather himself and head back to the dorm.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Finn narrowed his eyes at Poe suspiciously. “Movie night?” Poe nodded vigorously, already unpacking the junk food he had bought on the way back from the gym. “But… It’s Thursday.”

 

Poe finally looked up at that, thought a moment, and shrugged. “Yeah, but no one has any classes tomorrow and Rey only has to work in the afternoon,” Finn looked over at the black dry erase calendar that had taken the place of the rules list on the back of the door. Each of them had been assigned a color by Poe, who had turned out to be more of a mother-hen than Finn would have ever expected from a bad-ass 28 year-old pilot that regularly told stories of his reckless and rebellious antics.

 

All the markers were neon colored that showed up really well on the glossy black surface, and the system had kinda been working amazing for knowing where everyone was and what they needed. Finn was the white marker, Poe was orange, Rey was green(Poe had offered her pink and she had promptly lectured him, and everyone within earshot, about gendered colors), and Kylo had been given red. There was even room for a shopping list and all their contact numbers.

 

“And we need a bonding night. Trust me.” A variety of candy spilled out over the small counter as Poe unpacked, bags of chips were tossed on top of the fridge, salsa and sodas went into the fridge as Finn watched in a stupor.

 

Scratching his neck, he sighed. Poe would get his way. He always did because Finn couldn’t seem to say no to him.  _ Damn hormones. _ It figured that the only guy Finn was attracted to at this school, which should have been full of cocky pilots with hard bodies (totally Finn’s type), was the one guy he couldn’t have. Based on the stories Poe told, he was totally straight and his dorm-mate. So… not going to happen.

 

Poe grinned at him, and Finn felt himself weaken. “Okay… Okay. But you have to tell me why.”

 

He watched Poe, the most beautiful man he had ever seen, snort in laughter as he agreed. “You know how Kylo has been trying to apologize to Rey? Well, I think they patched things up.” Poe tossed the trash and finished up the kitchen with a wipe of a paper towel. “So we need to have a night with everyone together, no fighting.”

 

“You want to invite KYLO?”

 

Poe finally paused, looking at Finn curiously, clearly on just now seeing his expression. “Well, yeah. Is that okay with you?”

 

With Poe’s big brown eyes looked at him, his beautifully tanned face questioning and wanting something that Finn could give him, he crumbled. “Ye-” He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I guess… Is he… Is he going to be chill?”

 

Feeling Poe’s arm sling over his shoulder, Finn had to swallow nervously. “Oh, yeah, he’ll be fine, don’t worry.” His broad hand squeezed the ball of Finn’s shoulder, and he nodded mindlessly agreeing as his brain turned off, all his senses tuning into Poe’s arm around him. “Now we have to pick out the perfect movie.”

 

Two hours later, and Finn was still confused. Maybe more confused... Something was going on that he wasn’t aware of and no one was talking about it, and Poe was being suspicious.

 

When Kylo came back, shortly after Poe and while they were picking out a movie, he had immediately taken a shower and then retreated to his room. Poe had followed him in, and Finn had no idea what they had talked about in there, but when Poe came back he looked smug. When Kylo came out a half hour later, he was dressed differently and it looked like his hair had been brushed back and styled. It was terrifying, because it was Kylo, and because Finn had never seen him dressed up. Not that slim fit, dark blue jeans and a button up shirt really counted as ‘dressed up’ but compared to his usual black on black on black it was.

 

Rey had taken her usual place on on of the couches, her pillow from her bed under one arm and a blanket thrown across her legs. Fin had sat in his usual spot on the other couch. Poe had taken the one chair, instead of sitting next to Finn like he always did, without any explanation. So when Kylo approached, the only options for him to sit were, next to Rey or next to Finn.

 

The hulking giant looked a bit more uncertain than usual, shoulders hunched and eyes glancing back and forth between the two spots. Finn raised his eyebrow, as if daring Kylo to sit in either place. He didn’t want Kylo sitting next to him but he didn’t want him sitting next to Rey either.

 

Turning his expression on Poe, he shifted his eyes indicating he should come sit next to Finn so Kylo could take the chair. That would solve the whole thing, but Poe was somehow both avoiding his look and being oblivious to the situation with Kylo’s seating.

 

Finally, Kylo huffed and sat next to Rey, who smiled and shifted her blanket around to give him room. He was hunching, clearly tense and trying to avoid touching her in the small space, practically leaning over and hugging the arm rest. After a few long moments, Poe’s legs stretched out and his feet propped up on Finn’s knee. When Finn looked at him, Poe grinned, refocusing him on the movie and distracting him with his touch.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kylo thought he was going to explode. Every time he breathed he wondered if he was pushing into Rey’s space, taking up too much room and being too big as usual. If he shifted his weight, he could feel the whole couch cushion move. And he could feel every time she moved through the same cheap cushion. She didn’t seem nearly as aware of him as he was of her though, and he was thankful for that. Kylo knew he was glancing at her out of the corner of his eye every few minutes, ignoring the movie as he got caught up in his own head.

 

He knew Finn was not happy, occasionally glaring at him, but Poe kept distracting him. And Kylo had seen it a thousand times; Poe using his very fluid sexuality, was nothing new. What was surprising was how effective it was on Finn. Poe’s flirtations were distracting to straight men, with a general air of confusion and discomfort, but Finn seemed completely overwhelmed the way straight girls or gay guys were. Either Finn was gay and hiding it extremely well, or he was unaware of his own sexuality.

 

The movie passed before he knew it and he started to get up, but Rey looked up at him with a sleepy smile. “What are you doing?”

 

“Uh..” He glanced at Poe and Finn, and Poe just grinned, using the remote to find another movie. “It ended?”

 

“Movie night has at least 3 movies. Rules.” Rey grinned. “But since you are already up, will you bring more snacks?”

 

He glanced at the pile on the tiny table they had used, and realized most of it was wrappers and empty bags, so he nodded. But adding more food to the table would have been a mess, trash spilling over the edges onto the floor and food mixed in with empties, so he started gathering up the wrappers and cellophane and crinkly bags. Poe stood and started helping him, wiggling his eyebrows at Kylo once they moved to the kitchen and Finn and Rey couldn’t see them.

 

As he reached for the chip bags, Poe leaned close and whispered, “Soooooo….  you arn’t taking my advice?”

 

Kylo didn’t even bother responding with more than an eye roll. Poe’s advice had been as cliche, obvious, unhelpful as a bucket of mud in a gunfight. Poe, who could flirt like Don Juan and convince anyone to do just about anything, had given him bullshit advice that included: get close to her but not too close, touch her on the arm and lower back but be gentle, look in her eyes but not like he wanted to fight her, and help her but don’t do things for her.

 

The worst? ‘Be natural. Be casual.’ Kylo didn’t do natural or casual. He didn’t know how close was too close, how to look in someone’s eyes without scaring them, or how to help someone without doing things for them. Being gentle was next to impossible. He’d broken enough furniture, tableware, and a variety of military equipment to know that unless he was concentrating really hard, he was too rough.

 

So he just grabbed a stack of water bottles out of the fridge and carried his haul of junk food and hydration over to the table. The second movie passed much the same as the first though Poe moved to the other couch next to Finn. Kylo was far too tense, but the four of them worked through the junk food as the movie rolled on.

 

The third movie was where things got… Strange. All his tension had slowly started seeping out of him, and once Rey went to the bathroom, he relaxed.

 

The next thing he knew, Rey was leaning over him, the screen was playing the final credits, and Finn and Poe were missing.

 

Sitting up abruptly, he narrowly missed banging heads with the younger girl, and grumbled a soft apology. She just smiled and shooed him away when he tried to help her clean up, and he rubbed the back of his neck before moving towards the table. “I’ll help…”

 

Rey stepped to the side and motioned to his door. “Don’t even think of it. You got roped into this and obviously need to sleep.” Her own face was sleepy too, but she smiled at him anyway. “Go.”

 

Poe’s words haunted him, and since Kylo had failed at everything else, he pushed a little bit. “You sure?”

 

“Positive.”

 

“Oh… Night.”

 

He was trying very hard to keep his face calm. He didn’t want her to see him beating himself up again, but it felt like she was rejecting more than his help.

 

So when he opened the door to his room, he wasn’t paying the most attention and shut the door and flicked the small table lamp at the same time. Only to be confronted with Poe’s bare ass as he and Finn… “FUCK, POE!”

 

He shouted and immediately threw himself back through the door he had just come through, slamming it sharply.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo and Rey sleep together. Just sleep.....

 

“Um… Are you okay?” Rey had a handful of trash in her hands, having been sorting through the wrappers and empty containers, and now stood staring at him in confusion.

 

Sure, this whole week had been weird, but this was especially strange. After the odd interaction at the gym, and Poe inviting Kylo to movie night, the big dark haired man had fallen asleep the moment she left the room. And now, Kylo had walked into his room, screamed something, then came out and slammed the door. Now he stood, wide eyed and with a look of horror on his face.

 

“Uh… Poe.. Finn…” He shuddered. “I knew, but I never wanted to see...”

 

Rey raised her eyebrows, forehead wrinkling. “See what?”

 

Despite seeing her and talking to her, Kylo’s eyes scanned around the room before coming back to her and finally seeming to notice her. “Poe and Finn. They were-” Then, she saw something she never thought she would see. Kylo blushed. “They were in bed… together…”

 

Rey blinked, then felt her face get warm and knew she was blushing. Immediatly she ducked her face and turned away to gather more trash. “Well. I mean.. That’s…” She moved to the trash and dumped the load, and when she turned around he was still standing there looking dazed. “Interesting?”

 

He nodded, and without another word, grunted and started helping clean up, rolling the bags that still had chips and putting them away. They worked in odd silence, Rey a bit surprised that neither Poe or Finn came out of the bed room, until everything was cleaned up enough so they didn’t get bugs. The building manager was very insistent that people clean up food as communal living quarters frequently had problems with bugs.

 

Rey looked from the closed door to Poe and Kylo’s room, then to the short couch that would never fit the tall man’s frame if he tried to lay down. “So… What are you going to do?” Sure, they had called a truce on their antagonism towards each other, but she wasn’t ready to invite him in to sleep in her room in Finn’s bed.

 

Kylo looked at the door to his room and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

 

They stood, awkward in the dim light and silence, Rey usure what to offer and Kylo unsure what to ask, until finally, he sighed and looked over his shoulder at her. “Can I use the blanket for tonight?” He motioned to the blanket that she had been using and had left on the couch.

 

Rey nodded. “Yeah, but… you won’t fit on the couch, will you?”

 

“I thought I’d take the floor.”

 

“Oh….” Rey looked at the space on the floor. It didn’t look much bigger than the couch, though it must be, and it was going to be hard and uncomfortable. Kylo was already setting up the couch cushions and trying to maneuver himself into a prone position on the floor. Rey winced, watching him.

 

Rey and Kylo had just become sort of okay with each other. She definitely wasn’t ready for him to sleep in the same room as her, but she also couldn’t really watch him sleep on the floor. She had done it often enough that she knew it wouldn’t be comfortable for him, and she wouldn’t be able to sleep either. Her face scrunched, glancing back at the door to her room, then at Kylo, who was folded at an awkward angle to fit around the furniture.

 

“Do you… I mean, if you want…” Rey shrugged, “Finn’s bed?” Glancing away from his hulking form, she rubbed her palm over her elbow. “Since he’s in there.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kylo went still the instant he realized what she was offering, and then, moving slowly because he wasn’t sure he heard her right, his shaggy head looked over his shoulder. “That’s…. okay. I’ve slept on worse.”

 

He watched her slim shoulder lift and she didn’t meet his eyes. “Yeah, me too.” Her dark eyes flickered over him, afraid to land in one place for two long, and she finally met his eyes for a brief second before darting away. “But you shouldn’t have to.”

 

Kylo could tell she was uncomfortable, and he didn’t want to make her feel that way, so he shook his head. “No. I’ll be fine.”

 

“Oh, come on.” Before he knew it, she was standing over him, looking down, cajolingly. “Don’t be like that. I won’t sleep knowing you are out here on the floor.”

 

His felt his chest expand as he inhaled slowly, thoughtfully, and for a split second he saw her eyes linger before moving away, and he reminded himself not to scare her. She probably didn’t like how big he was, most people were intimidated by his size, despite being below her on the floor. She was scared of him. “You won’t be able to sleep if I’m in there, either.”

 

She scoffed, and he raised an eyebrow. “I’ll be fine. Just get up.”

 

He jumped, a small sharp pressure in his ribs startling him, and he sat up realizing she had kicked him with her foot. “You kicked me?!”

 

“I nudged you, not kicked you. Don’t be a baby and get up.” She rolled her eyes, reached down and snatched the blanket off him, and walked off to the room she shared with Finn. And wanted to share with him tonight?

 

He sat on the floor staring after her for a moment before hesitantly getting to his feet. He shuffled nervously, then slowly approached the door she had left open. Peering around the frame, he prepared to duck away if she was upset. But instead, he could barely see through the shadows that she was already curling up in what he assumed was her bed, the blanket pulled over her and the lights out.

 

The other bed, Finn’s, was a blocky shape against the other wall. Kylo really didn’t want to sleep in another man’s bed, but the couch wouldn’t fit, and without at least a blanket the floor wouldn’t work either. So he hesitantly crept towards the other bed, gingerly climbing in as sneakily as he could so he didn’t wake up or disturb Rey.

 

Kylo could hear Rey breathing and slowly settled into the mattress, trying to ignore the scent of another man that lingered in the sheets. Before he knew it, his body was relaxing and he drifted to sleep slowly.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Rey held back a chuckle as Kylo tried to silently cross the room, about as sneaky as an elephant, and climbed into the bed as if it was booby-trapped. Her eyes had already adjusted to the dark so she could see all his silly tip-toeing and creeping.

 

The next morning, when the sun came through the windows Rey woke up first. The surly, brooding, dark beast of a man was replaced with a soft faced young man.

 

Kylo was sprawled in Finn’s bed, sheets and blankets kicked around, still in his clothes. His dark hair was curled and ruffled around his head, his face relaxed, and his mouth slightly open as he snored softly.

 

Rey stared at him for a moment before a clatter in the kitchen sent her scrambling out of the room with a guilty blush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long guys! I hate not updating frequently because I miss you all, but stuff has been going on IRL, you know how it is. Benefit of that is that I have ideas for like 5 new stories. Maybe that's actually a negative and not a benefit. I should be back to a semi-regular posting schedule now, but I don't want to jinx it.


	11. Chapter 11

The next few days were a blur of awkward interactions, between everyone, not just Kylo and Rey. It took a few days for Rey and Kylo to get used to Poe and Finn being couple-y. Poe was the main offender; kissing and nuzzling Finn, hugging him randomly, making innuendo, and generally making Finn blush, Rey laugh, and Kyo roll his eyes. It didn’t matter that they were two guys, Kylo was well aware of Poe’s sexuality and Rey had met enough people who had ‘alternative sexualities’ (mostly when she had been a teen on her own, she had spent a lot of time with other teens who had been kicked out of their homes and families for something as silly as who they were attracted to,) so neither of them cared about that. It was going from 4 single people to 2 single people and 1 couple, who also happened to live with each other, that was throwing off the dynamic.

 

Kylo could barely look at Poe for a while, saying “I need to get over seeing your  _ actual  _ asshole before I can look you in the eye,” to which Poe had reprimanded him for his language in front of Rey, who chortled. There was something going on between Poe and Kylo that Rey couldn’t figure out. It felt like they were always talking about something, and the minute she walked in, they would stop.

 

Poe had been randomly winking at Rey whenever he teased Kylo, which resulted in one of two things. It sent Kylo retreating into his room or disappearing to the gym, or managed to force him to interact with the group. Rey was mostly confused by the whole thing, she had never had people she was close enough with to tease, and even after Poe briefly explained that they had known each other forever and been in the military together, “practically brothers” in his words, she still didn’t get it since she hadn’t had siblings.

 

Finn had a scared and embarrassed demeanor for nearly a week, as if he thought they would act weird or even aggressive now that they knew he was gay. After a while of him tip-toeing around, Kylo growled “I don’t care who you fuck, I just don’t want to see it. Put a fucking sock on the door.” It took a bit, Rey worried that things would change between them, but Finn was still Finn, and after a few days they were quickly back to being best buddies.

 

Rey and Kylo had the most cringe worthy interactions, but Rey only thought that because those moments embarrassed  _ her _ . If she asked, Finn would probably claim that title, and rightfully so since he was outed as gay and had been witnessed _ in flagrante delicto. _ Maybe it just felt like she was embarrassing herself. It seemed like they couldn’t stop bumping into each other, literally.

 

Which was a problem because she had started noticing how tall he was. How wide. Just… big all over. Which had never been something Rey was attracted to, big always meant dangerous, but ever since they had come to a truce in the gym, she wasn’t afraid of him. Not even slightly. And with those muscles, his attitude up until now, and that scar, she definitely should have been.

 

But… He was nice to her. Which was… Nice. That was a word Rey felt comfortable using when talking about Kylo.

 

Or thinking about Kylo.

Which she did far too much.

 

Rey liked when he was nice to her. She liked when anyone was nice to her, but this felt like a different sort of like. But she knew, if someone was nice to her but not to other people, they were not nice and usually wanted something from her.

 

So, she was friendly, but she kept reminding herself to be wary of him. He had a temper. He was mean, and surly, and a total ass.

 

Then she overheard a group talking in the machine shop.

 

She was working under the metal lathe, unplugged and taped off with her safety goggles, neon orange helmet, and gloves in place, but mostly out of sight as she worked in the panel near the floor. A small group of higher level students, 1 girl and 3 guys, were using the CNC machine for a project that she didn’t know or care about beyond them being in the shop during her shift.

 

Until she heard Kylo’s name.

 

Despite it being a machine shop, it was fairly quiet right now. The CNC machine was by far the quietest thing in the shop, most of the motor and cutting tools in a protective metal box with a door, controlled by a computer program, but it wasn’t silent by any stretch of the imagination. The only reason she heard them was because they were trying to get the designs they had made on their laptops to load onto the machine’s computer.

 

_ Blah blah,mumble, Kylo, mumble mumble, No way! _

 

Rey’s ears perked up, her mind straying from the belt she was replacing and oiling, caught on the sound of her room-mate’s name.

 

“What did that felon do now?” A grumbling male voice.

 

The girl’s voice, her tone insistent. “It’s true! I nearly had a panic attack.”

 

Rey’s heart sank, wondering what he had done now, and went as still as possible, trying to listen without it being obvious she was listening. Not that the group could see her or even knew she was there. But just in case.

 

A younger, scoffing male voice. “Didn’t happen. Kylo Ren? No.”

 

There was a sound, not really a sound but more like a swish of air, and Rey got the impression of nodding as the girl’s voice came again. “He looked right at me, and smiled.”

 

“Bull shit.” The grumbling voice spoke, the younger guy tried to interrupt but the gumbler kept talking. “You are telling me he looked at you, smiled, and held the door open for you?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Yeah, that sounds nothing like him. Are you sure it was Kylo Ren?” Younger guy. “There is a guy that looks like him, kinda. Matt. He’s over in the radar department.”

 

The girl scoffed. “I’m not an idiot. It was Kylo Ren. It was terrifying.”

 

Rey’s head was spinning. He had been nice to someone other than Poe, Finn, and herself? The group kept talking, and Rey listened with half an ear, but they quickly devolved into whispering gossip and rumors about Kylo, which Rey had no interest in, and then back to their project.

 

Something to think about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate how long I was gone, but we got into our new house! Yay! I'm exhausted, of course we moved during the hottest and most humid weeks of the year in our area. I want to promise I'll be back to a regular posting schedule, but I'm not sure i can keep that promise. I'm still working on my stories, but I've been so busy unpacking and catching up on work, it might still be a while before I'm posting weekly. The downside of trying to write slow burns is they move slowly.
> 
> I'm probably going to consolidate and restructure the chapters a bit after the next update so keep you eyes out for dates on chapters, that will mean they've been messed with.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe sets out a plan to get Kylo and Rey closer... and it works, but raises questions for Rey.

“Kylo?

 

“Hey, Kylo….”

 

Poe stared at the lump in the other bed, barely able to see it in the dim light coming through the tiny window. It didn’t move.

 

“I know you arn’t sleeping. Talk to me.”

 

The big lump rolled over with a sigh. “What do you want? It’s 2 in the morning.”

 

Poe grinned. He knew his long-time friend didn’t know what to do next, that much was clear over the past few weeks. Kylo liked Rey, but only Poe could tell. Rey liked Kylo, and it was completely obvious to everyone but Kylo. But Rey was never going to make a move because of their previous interactions. Poe couldn’t blame her. But that left it up to the brooding, dark haired, hopelessly clueless Kylo. So that meant it was Poe’s job to encourage him, while he and Finn arranged situations for Rey and Kylo to interact.

 

Now for the encouragement. “We have to move out.”

 

That got his attention, and Poe watched a dark blur sit straight up in bed and hiss, “What?!”

 

“Hear me out.” There was a pointed silence before Kylo’s shadow nodded. “Me and Finn are dating, but dating and living together this early is kinda weird.”

 

“So why do I have to move out?”

 

Poe rolled his eyes, muttering in spanish, then continued. “And you can’t ask Rey out until you aren't living with her or it will go on your permanent record. So if you and I get an off-campus apartment, A- you can ask her out, B- She and Finn can each have their own room. Don’t tell me it isn’t bothering you that she is sleeping in the same room as a guy, gay or not.” Kylo started to object but Poe cut him off. “AND C- when one of us has our cuties over for fun time, the other one can go to the other place, no one has to see or hear anything.”

 

Poe grinned, waiting for him to tell him that he was a genius.

 

“I’m not going to ask Rey out!”

 

Poe yawned, bored with Kylo’s objections. “Yes, you are.”

 

“Why would I do that?”

 

Poe sighed the sigh of a man explaining something for the hundredth time. “Because you like her.” Kylo more than liked her, Poe was pretty sure the sullen man was head over heels for her, and Rey would have him wrapped around her finger before she even tried.

 

Silence.

 

“But…” Poe heard Kylo take a deep breath. “How?”

 

Poe grinned. “Okay, so here’s the plan...”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

_ Mission 1: get Rey to come apartment hunting. _

 

Poe had phrased his plans like the old missions they used to run, to make it more comfortable for Kylo.

 

It helped but… Kylo could feel himself sweating through his undershirt. Rey was due home any minute and he was wearing another button up and slacks, at Poe’s insistence. Tugging at the collar, despite it being unbuttoned a little, he stood in the kitchen ready to ‘act casual’ the moment she walked in.

 

The doorknob rattled, then turned, keys clinking, and then Rey was there.

 

“Oh, hi Rey, you’re home, good timing, busy this afternoon?” Kylo knew his voice was a little too loud and he rushed his words but it was the best he had as he acted like he was putting the bottle of orange juice back in the fridge.

 

Based on the look Rey gave him, she knew he was acting unusual. He fought the urge to itch at his neck and tried to look at her without staring at her. “Good timing for what?”

 

“Well…” Kylo glanced at the door to his and Poe’s room, wishing he could have practiced more. “Poe and I are going to look at some apartments. We want you to come.”

 

“You are moving out?” Rey’s eyes turned squinty and suspicious. “I thought we were ok.”

 

Kylo stuttered for a moment, this was not in any of the scenarios he had thought about, and had no idea how to respond. “We are… I just… Poe was thinking… And you’re a girl, so. Yeah.”

 

“I’m a girl.”

 

Kylo nodded, just as Poe rounded the open door and stopped, wincing when he realized he was late, and immediately plastered a smile on his face.

 

“Yes… For opinions on… the apartments.” Kylo mentally sent help signals to Poe, hoping Rey wasn’t getting any of his panic.

 

Poe stepped in with his typical charm. “Yeah, Rey, we value your opinion.” He winked over her head at Kylo when she wasn’t looking at him.

 

“But… Why are you moving out?” She glanced between the two of them in confusion.

 

“Oh you know, more privacy, more space, and that way Finn and I can date without living together.” Poe said it so casually that the last part sounded like it made sense, and Rey was slowly nodding. “So go change out of those dirty overalls and let’s go!”

 

_ Mission: Accomplished _

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

_ Mission 2: Find an apartment Rey liked. _

 

“I like this one…”

 

“You do?”

 

Rey nodded as Kylo leaned towards her curiously but he kept a careful distance as she looked around the rooms of the third place. A high rise, but nothing like the silver and chrome monstrosity that Hux lived in. Though it suited the redhead, Kylo didn’t want to live in a place like that(Hux had offered), Poe would never tolerate it, and Rey… a girl probably wouldn’t like it either.

 

Instead, it was warm and homey, while still outfitted with sleek and modern surfaces. The floors were polished wood-look tile, the walls a soft clean white, all the countertops done in a sparkling white surface while the appliances all were a matching shiny silver color, and there were big floor to ceiling windows in every room. This was kinda nice though. Kylo hadn’t thought much of any of the places, but Poe liked this one and so did Rey, sooo….

 

“Why?”

 

Rey looked over at him and Kylo was aware that he didn’t quite know how to be around her. He wasn’t in the military anymore, and she never had been, so he couldn’t be hard and gruff. He couldn’t be casual, as if they had just met, because they lived together and she had already seen him at his worst. He couldn’t be cool and suave like Poe, because… well… Kylo wasn’t cool and suave, and couldn’t even pretend with Rey because she was so perfect it made his teeth hurt.

 

But she ignored how awkward he was and gave a small one shouldered shrug. “I don’t know. It’s bright. And I like it.”

 

Kylo shuffled closer. “Where would you put stuff..?”

 

“Like, how would I decorate?” Rey’s eyebrows lifted as she looked at him, confirming.

 

He nodded, and she looked around, now with a different purpose. She wandered from kitchen to living room, passing where Finn and Poe were discussing pros and cons, through the rest of the layout until she reached the halls leading to the bedrooms. All with Kylo following her like a devoted pup. “Did you and Poe pick which rooms you would get?”

 

He shook his head, they hadn’t even signed papers for the place, but he wanted to know which she liked best. “What do you think?”

 

She hummed thoughtfully, looking at each of the bedrooms, walking back and forth a she mentally compared. “Well… Both rooms are great.”

 

He felt his face twist slightly in a small smirk. “But, if you were picking for your room… What would you pick?”

 

Her face scrunched, cute and thoughtful, then she pointed to the one furthest down the hall. “That one has the bathtub, and the windows would be great if you put the bed on the left wall.”

 

“Oh?” Kylo moved to the open door peering inside. “Can you show me?” Kylo was a great pilot; quick reflexes and good instincts. A great student; he worked hard and when he got something wrong or didn’t understand it, he studied until he got it. But artistic things? Things that were subjective? He didn’t do well.

 

So he mentally made note of everything she said. Where the bed should go, the dresser, the types of drapes and art and plants. He quickly texted Poe, telling him to sign the papers for this place, and planned to make this room exactly the way Rey thought it should be. But, he didn’t have most, or any, of the stuff she talked about. He was sharing a room with Poe in the dorms. They had no furniture of their own. “Would you… We have to go shopping for house stuff. Couches and everything… Would you come with me?”

 

“You want me to help you shop?” Rey looked at him with a tiny smile and an arch of her eyebrows, as if checking that he was sure he wanted her to come along, and he nodded. She blushed softly, and bit her lip. “Yeah, okay…”

 

_ Mission: Accomplished _

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

According to Poe, this was a good development. “Now, you just have to be the lovable idiot I know that you can be, without being a tempermental ass.” Easier said than done. But she had agreed to help Kylo go shopping, which meant spending time together.

 

_ Mission 3: Take Rey shopping, don’t blow it. _

 

Easier said than done.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“I need a king size bed.”

 

“Why do you need a king size bed?”

 

“I’m tall.”

 

Rey stared at Kylo, blinking slowly. “First of all, yeah, but a king and a queen are the same length.” At his somewhat annoyed look when he checked the tags, as if he didn’t believe her, she rolled her eyes.

 

He grumbled, then shifted his jaw side to side as he turned away. “Whatever. I still need a king to stretch out.”

 

Rey took a long inhale, then let it out slowly. “Lay on the queen.”

 

He glared at her.

 

She ignored him and pointed to the bed again. “Do it. Lay in the middle and spread your arms.”

 

He huffed, thinking it over, before finally moving his large frame onto the bed. It did funny things to her stomach to see him shifting around on the bed as he tested it out. Hot fluttery things. She blushed, her eyes darting away as he finally settled, spreading his arms.

 

“Look, my fingers hang off. There's barely room for me, let alone-”

 

Rey glanced back at him as he cut himself off, her mind wondering what exactly he had stopped himself from saying, and yet somehow knowing exactly.  _ What if he had a girl in bed... _

 

To distract herself, she looked at his hands and, sure enough, his fingers could grip over the edges of the bed. The man had the wingspan of a damn airplane. Nibbling her lip, she sighed. “Fine, whatever. It is your bed.”

 

He gave her a small look of triumph and her eyes rolled up to look at the ceiling as she shook her head. “What else do you need?”

 

“Um…” He sat up and Rey forced herself not to notice how he did it all with his abs, not using his arms at all as he dug out his phone and started flicking through his list. “Ugh… The thing to put the bed on?”

 

“The frame and the headboard?”

 

He shrugged, continuing on the list. “Dresser thing, nightstand. You said I needed plants and art.”

 

“So… Everything but the bed.”

 

He nodded.

 

After an exhausting 3 hours picking out what turned into a bedroom set, since it was easier than buying separate pieces and trying to match them, finding art that Kylo tolerated and Rey actually thought was worth of being called art, and a few other items. Adding in the bedding, pillows, drapes, rug, plant hooks, it was a mountain of stuff.

 

Rey stared at it hesitantly as they stood in line. “Kylo… not to be nosy… But can you afford all this stuff?”

 

He just nodded, pushing the cart a few feet as the line move up. “Of course.”

 

Once everything was rung up, it was a shocking amount, at least to Rey. But he didn’t even flinch, even yawned slightly, and handed over a black card that made the cashier raise her eyebrows and suddenly start flirting with Kylo.

 

_ Who the hell was Kylo Ren? _


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo and Poe move into the apartment, while Poe sets up Kylo for success with Rey. Things go.... awry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I was trying to get this done as a super-secret Holiday gift to you, my lovely readers, but based on the amount of food I'm struggling with today, it is looking like the new year might be a better deadline.(Real and Rare and Magic was supposed to be done by Halloween but some stuff happened with my job, so I'm aiming for valentines with that one.) But I wanted to give you what I have! Be warned, it is barely edited since I was pounding it out for you guys. I reserve the right to go back and edit things.
> 
> I swear, I'm not going to start anything new (except maybe an exchange) until these two are done... They are haunting me.

It took about a month for the paperwork on the apartment to go through, and then it was theirs. Poe and Kylo’s that is, despite Kylo half wishing the second name on the lease was Rey’s. It was quick work moving Poe and Kylo out of the dorm, they didn’t have much besides clothes, and the furniture that Rey and Kylo had picked out was able to be delivered straight to the apartment. Finn and Poe had done their own shopping for Poe’s room, and they spent the weekend after everything was delivered putting the place together.

 

Finn and Poe had paired off leaving Kylo and Rey to team up. It had been a bit awkward and nervous on both sides, their voices hesitant and movements jerky as laughter came from the other bedroom. But then they settled into a rhythm.

 

Kylo would move the boxes into place, Rey would cut them open. As he pulled out the particle board, wood, little bags of screws and fixtures, and tools, Rey would gather up the plastic, paper, and instructions. Then she would read the instructions to him while he put things together, sometimes helping to hold something in place as he lined up the fastenings. She did  _ not  _ notice his muscles in that sung t-shirt, and if anyone said she did, they were lying liars who lied. She also did NOT enjoy how he took her direction without any arguing or male ego, just nodding and trusting her instructions.

 

Sometimes they had to go digging through the plastic and packing material to find something that was missing, so Rey waited to throw everything away until each piece was completely put together. Then, as she took the garbage down to the dumpster, Kylo would put another box in place. He definitely didn’t  _ want  _ to brush back the little baby hairs around her face that escaped from her buns.

 

He also did  _ not  _ get a little pang in his chest from watching her fuss over the placement of a small plant on the shelf by the window once all the furniture was done and the decorating started. Rey was  _ not  _ the cutest thing he had ever seen, turning it this way and that, shifting it to the side and staring at it thoughtfully before being satisfied. He turned away before she noticed, and started unpacking the sheets and drapes, which Rey took from him with a scolding look when he started to put them in place. “You have to wash them first.”

 

He nodded and obediently took them to the laundry closet that came with the apartment, and started the load. When he came back she was going through the box of books that his parents had sent over from his storage, lining them up on the bookshelf with a smile, and pointing at his closet. “I’m not even touching that black hole of goth clothing.”

 

But she had smiled as she said it, so Kylo only furrowed his eyebrows and looked at her with a hint of confusion instead of offended anger. “It’s not that much… and it’s not goth.”

 

She laugh, the sound tinkling through his brain, and shook her head. “If you have more than seven items of clothing that aren’t black, or a shade of black, I’ll…. I’ll let you pick a movie for next movie night.”

 

“You think there will be another movie night?” Kylo was not opposed to having another movie night with the group, but he wasn’t following her train of thought.

 

Rey grinned, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she looked back at him. “You’ll see.” She flicked her hand towards the closet. “Do your closet, Dracula.”

 

Kylo felt a soft huff of laughter slip out, surprised she was willing to call him cute nicknames, and headed to his closet, ready to prove her wrong.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kylo sat on the new couch in the new apartment, sipping a water bottle as Rey opened a bag of chips. “I can’t believe it.”

 

She crunched on a salt and vinegar kettle cooked chip with a smile. “I told you.”

 

“How?”

 

“You are a secret goth. Duh.”

 

Kylo rolled his eyes. “How do I only have four shirts with color?” He had finished putting all his clothes in the closet and Rey had been right. Almost all of it had been black or grey.

 

“Here, console yourself with delicious chips.” She reached out, holding the bag open to him and he shook his head.

 

Finn flopped down with a sigh, reaching into Rey’s bag of chips, while Poe brought a water over for Rey and his new boyfriend. “So… I know we just moved in, but…. Do you think Finn and I could have the first night in the apartment? You know… Christen the place?”

 

Kylo grimaced, his mind immediately filled with the hellish image of Poe’s ass when he walked in on them the night he and Finn got together. Rey laughed, reaching over with her foot to lightly kick Poe’s knee. “GROSS!” Then she was laughing, “You can’t just kick Kylo out…”

 

Poe grinned, winking at Kylo when Rey glanced away. “Aww, come on Rey, you’ll take care of him for me won’t you?”

 

“Hey!” Kylo snarled at Poe, “I’m not a puppy, I don’t need her to take care of me.”

 

Poe held up his hands in surrender, “Okay, okay, I was going to offer to buy you guys take out as payment, but you two can stay here and me and Finn will go back to the dorm and celebrate there.”

 

Rey suddenly jolted up from her slouched position. ‘NO, no way,” She slapped Kylo on the arm, “Free food? We are taking that deal.”

 

He looked at the spot where she had slapped his arm, the skin tingling, and frowned down at her with less intensity than he had been frowning at Poe, “What, why?”

 

Rey lurched up onto her knees leaning forward, “Free…. Food…. I need it. I haven’t had chinese in months.” She smiled at him sweetly and Kylo felt his heart thump against the wall of his chest. It was on the tip of his tongue to offer to buy her all the chinese food she wanted, when she kept talking. “And I told you, you get to pick the movies. We can have a movie night just us!”

 

Poe smirked like this had been his plan all along, Finn looked suspicious, and Rey appeared to be already on her phone looking up what she wanted to eat.

 

Little did Kylo know, Poe had just successfully completed his own mission. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

That was how Kylo found himself on the crappy couch in the dorm, Rey practically nesting next to him, buried under a blanket with a mountain of Chinese food on the rickety table in front of them, and a bad monster movie starting on the tv. It was a pretty great approximation of Kylo’s ideal night in, though for the first time he wasn’t alone and had someone other than Poe joining him. It wasn’t a great date, but Poe had pulled him aside, whispering about another mission, before sending them both back to the apartment.

 

He was also texting Kylo pretty regularly, which would seem to defeat the purpose of him and Finn needing to be alone, but Kylo was somewhat afraid to ask. But he also wasn’t sure what to talk to Rey about and they had lapsed into an odd but comfortable silence, lacking the awkwardness that had been there the first movie night with the whole group.

 

“So what are we watching?” Rey pulled a paper carton onto her lap, and twirled her chopsticks in the mix of beef and broccoli.

 

This was something Kylo could talk about. “This is the movie that is widely considered to have re-started the American B-monster-movie revival, most monster movies were farmed out and re-dubbed from Japan.” Which was where Kylo had discovered his love of terrible monster movies while being stationed there briefly.

 

Rey chewed thoughtfully, slurping some saucy meat into her mouth.

 

“But… what is it?” She asked just as the title screen popped up and Kylo gave her a tight nervous smile, wondering what she would think. “Anaconda? It’s about an undiscovered giant snake in the jungle that eats a bunch of people.”

 

She chortled, shoving a bite into her mouth. “Thouns coo.” Which he translated as ‘sounds cool’ and he exhaled in relief. Not everyone was into bad monster movies.

 

They sat in mostly silence as the movie unfolded, the sounds of a jungle, some gun fire, and people screaming as the snake ate them, underscored by slurping and asking to pass different cartons around. Rey laughed at several points, and when it ended, she gave him a sleepy smile. “That was pretty cool. The right amount of campy and silly and gory.”

 

Kylo nodded, “If you like that, there are a bunch more of varying quality.” He stood, scooping up the containers that still held food, closing them and moving to put them in the fridge, as Rey patted her stomach with a groan, lazily grabbing empties and tucking them in the trash.

 

“MMM… So good. I haven’t eaten like that in a long time.” She sighed happily before taking the dvd out and putting it in the case. “Do you have another one, or…”

 

“Yeah…” Kylo crouched next to her and held up two options. “Frankenfish or MegaCroc?”

 

The sharp sound of Rey’s laughter jolted him to look up at her and she just shrugged. “Those are ridiculous names. You pick your favorite.”

 

He nodded, the names did get rather silly, but that was part of the fun. “Frankenfish it is!”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Rey woke up in the dark, unsure what had startled her. After Frankenfish, they had both turned in, Rey to her new solo room and Ben to his-former/now-Finn’s room. But it was still a small dorm with thin walls and after a moment of sitting in the dark, she heard it. A thump and a moan. 

 

Though Rey was attuned to sounds like thumping and banging thanks to her childhood, for the most part, she was able to ignore things happening rooms away. It was the moan that did it. It wasn’t the sound of someone going to the bathroom who stubbed their toe, something she would easily ignore and roll over before going back to sleep. It was a guttural sound, pain mixed with terror.

 

It was the kind of sound that you got out of bed for, a sound that made you wonder if someone was dying. So Rey slipped a ratty bathrobe around her shoulders and peeked out her door. The living room was empty, dark. Rey huffed, waiting a moment to see if it was just some drunk students in the hall, but then it happened again, echoing from the room across the shared space.

 

“Kylo…” Rey slipped across the floor, shivering at the cool surface on her bare feet, and knocked gently. “Kylo, are you okay?”

 

Nothing.

 

Swallowing, she twisted the knob and peeked in. Even in the dim light she could see something was wrong. The bed was empty, all the blankets pulled off and wrapped around Kylo as he sat rocking in the corner. “Kylo? What’s wrong?”

 

His head snapped around, looking at her with wild eyes as he started muttering to himself. Things about guns and sand and losing people. Scary things she didn’t understand. Then he lunged at her and she screamed, darting back and slamming the door before bolting to her bedroom.

 

Snatching her phone, she dialed Finn, simply because he was first on her short list of contacts.

 

“What the hell, Rey, it’s like 3 in th-” He groggily answered just as something heavy, probably Kylo, thudded against her door and she screamed again. “What? What’s going on?”

 

“Put Poe on the PHONE!” She whimpered, pressing her back to the door as it rattled. “Something is wrong with Kylo,” She blurted out as soon as the other man grunted into the phone.

 

“Huh?”

 

Rey squeaked as the door knob rattled and she felt the wood flex as he pushed against it from the other side. “He was huddled in his room moaning and muttering and when he saw me he chased me!”

 

“Shit. Are you safe?”

 

Rey grunted, “I’m in my room, so as safe as I can be. What is going on?!”

 

“Sit tight, stay in your room, we are on our way. If he gets in, try to calm him down by calling him Ben. He’s got PTSD, and sometimes that snaps him out of it.”

 

Poe hung up before Rey could ask what the hell that meant, and she growled at the phone in frustration just as shuffling moved away from her door. She sighed, hoping that meant Kylo’s little episode of extra-crazy had passed, and worried it meant he was planning a bigger assault on her door. But instead a sobbing howl started, breaking her heart with how pained it sounded, despite the terror she had felt only moment earlier.

 

She resisted for maybe five minutes before she couldn’t stand it any longer. Very carefully, Rey turned on her knees, and cracked the door, peeking out. She couldn’t see him, but the wailing was coming from the kitchen.

 

“Kylo?”

 

The wailing sputtered, then stopped, the only sound a frantic panting as if he were trying to silence himself as he hyperventilated.

 

“I’m... I’m coming out, okay?”

 

A high pitched whine, like an animal in pain, slowly grew as Rey cracked the door open and peeked out. She could see a blanket and a large bare foot in the kitchen, but that was about it. With a deep breath for bravery, she crept out and around the furniture until she could see him fully.

 

Kylo was curled, half leaned against the cabinets, with a blanket wrapped over his shoulders. His eyes were wide and glassy, dazed and darting around the room, and his hair was a wild nest on his head. He looked wrecked.

 

“Kylo?”

 

His eyes darted to her and his body stiffened, as if he was afraid of her, expression twisting from fear to fight. Rey held up her hands as if to show him everything was okay, and tried the name Poe had told her. “Ben?”

 

He startled, which made Rey flinch, but then his eyes softened and he saw her for the first time, the fearful fog lifting from his eyes and his face relaxing as if he had just woken from a nightmare, looking around, confused by his surroundings. “Rey?”

 

She nodded, creeping closer until she could touch his shoulder. “Kylo, what… what happened?” The moment she touched him, he slumped towards her and she caught him against her chest, holding him uncertainly.

 

“Just… Just a nightmare.” His breath huffed against her nightshirt and his voice was slurring as if he were falling asleep, and he was getting heavier by the moment as his body put more weight on her.

 

After a few moments, he was fully asleep and Rey was pinned with her neck as a painful angle. She wiggled and squirmed until she was at least flat on the floor, but she was unable to get away, as everytime she moved, Kylo tightened his arms around her and put more of his weight on her, until she was trapped under him on the kitchen linoleum.

 

She stayed trapped until, Poe and Finn whipped the door open about twenty minutes later, and then they stood staring in shock at the image before them. Poe, quick to adapt, laughed, “Well, looks like you have this under control…” And dusted his hands, pretending to walk out, only for Finn to grab him and Rey to holler at him to freeze. None of which seemed to wake the sleeping giant cuddling her like a teddy bear.

 

Poe chuckled like he was the funniest man in the world, and between the three of them they managed to rouse Kylo enough to help him to bed, one man under each arm and Rey guiding the way.

 

Then Poe sat her down in the living room, and told her as much as he could, what with not being there for parts of it and other parts still considered classified by the government, about Kylo’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The only reason they hadn’t warned Finn and Rey about it was because he hadn’t had an incident in over a year, but the move must have triggered one.

 

“Why did calling him ‘Ben’ calm him down?”

 

Poe winced, then spoke again. “Because that’s his name. His real name.”

 

“Because of his skills, over the radio he got the call sign ‘Kill All, Ben’ but it morphed. Between the non-English speakers catching it on the radio and static and a bunch of other stuff… It became Kylo Ren.” Poe shook his head. “There was a guy, not a great influence on Ben, and he convinced him to embrace it. So much that he legally changed his name.”

 

“And now… Well, now he’s away from all that, the name Kylo still has a lot attached to it, thing happened while he was Kylo. But the name ‘Ben’ is clean. So when he gets real bad like this, that helps. It shakes him out of it.”

 

Finn and Poe stayed a bit longer, and then headed for the door. Poe stopped, and gave Rey a long look. “He… He likes you, so-” Rubbing his hand through his hair, he sighed, “just go easy on him in the morning? He’s already going to be a little out of it because of the whole thing.

 

Rey blinked in shock. “What do you  _ mean ‘ _ he likes me’?”

 

The dark haired man only winced and then shrugged, saying, “Don’t tell him I told you,” before disappearing down the hall with his boyfriend.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo finally asks Rey out. Or... Poe kinda makes him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Umm... we are earning our ratings guys....

“Jesus, Kylo, just ask her out already!” Poe flung his hands in the air, nearly knocking over his beer as he and Kylo settled in at their favorite pub. “You pretty much already had a date! Make it official!”

 

Kylo leaned across the table, whispering harshly, “No. Us watching Anaconda and me having an attack in the middle of the night is not a date.” He slumped back into his seat, letting his beer thump on the table after taking a swig. “And she would never say yes after that anyway, so what is the point?”

 

Rey hadn’t said anything, and for the most part acted exactly the same as usual the next morning when he shuffled out of no-longer-his-room and beelined for the door; she had smiled and waved and said good morning as usual, but something in her eyes was different. Kylo was certain it was a mix of pity and disgust, and he wasn’t going to touch that with a 10 foot pole.

 

Poe gave him a long hard look, but when Kylo just looked away, he leaned forward on his crossed arms, his voice low and threatening. “You ask her out by tomorrow, or I’m telling her how you feel.”

 

Kylo’s gaze snapped back to Poe. “You wouldn’t dare!”

 

Dark eyebrows rose on a tanned forehead. “I wouldn't? I’m Poe. I do this kind of shit all the time Kylo.”

 

“She would never believe you.” He leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

“You think?” Poe grinned. “I bet she would. So ask her out, or I tell her you love her.”

 

“I hate you.”

 

“You love me. Now let me help.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Rey’s phone beeped at her as she was getting out of the shower after her skift in the hanger, and she waited a few minutes, drying off and getting dressed, before checking it.

 

Unknown number>>> Hey Rey, want to have dinner and a movie with me tonight?

 

Staring at the message in confusion, she brushed damp strands off her face, and quickly typed back.

 

<<< Who is this?

 

There was a long pause, and she spent the time puttering around the bedroom that was now exclusively hers, gathering her homework supplies and textbooks to study for her finals. Then it buzzed rapidly.

 

Unknown number>>> Kylo

Unknown number>>> Nm forgt it

Unknown number>>> forget

 

Confused, she quickly added him to her contacts, and then texted back.

 

<<<Wat?

<<<You buying right?

 

Kylo>>> that's how dates work

 

Rey’s eyes widened, a blush creeping up her neck as she glanced around bashfully, despite knowing Finn didn’t get out of class for another half hour. A few miles away in the new apartment, Poe was dodging Kylo as he chased him trying to get his phone back.

 

<<<Oh…. A date huh?

 

Kylo now lay on top of Poe, reaching for the phone that the slightly smaller man was holding in his stretched out arm, the two of them wrestling nearly silently even though she couldn’t hear them. It buzzed and Poe cried out in triumph, tilting his wrist trying to see the message, and Kylo managed to snatch it and storm away, Poe scrambling after him.

 

Kylo>>> No

Kylo>>> Unles you want t b

Kylo>>> whavr ou wan

 

Poe was grabbing at the phone as Kylo typed the last bit, making it nearly unreadable, but he didn’t dare take time to fix it incase Poe stole the phone again. Rey on the other end was staring at her screen with wide eyes.

 

<<< I don’t know what that means…

<<< Is it a date or not?

 

Poe had control of the phone and was typing far faster and more accurately than Kylo could manage, while running for the bathroom to lock himself in with Kylo’s phone.

 

Kylo>>> a date, if you are ok with that.

 

Kylo pounded on the door, shouting at Poe now. Rey sat down on the couch staring at the phone.  _ What was going on? _ Every text was different and it was throwing her off.

 

<<< Okay, I’d liek that.

<<< Why are you being weird?

 

Poe crowed in triumph, yanking open the door and showing Kylo the phone screen. “Told you!”

 

Snatching the phone back, Kylo was quick to text her, shoving Poe away with one hand as the man laughed.

 

Kylo>>> Poe keeps trying to steal my phone

 

Rey giggled, easily imagining how Poe would be teasing the other man, and could feel Kylo’s frustration.

 

<<< Oh, makes sense

<<< So…

 

Kylo>>> So…

Kylo>>> Oh, right. I’ll pick you up at 6?

 

<<< Sounds great

 

Kylo>>> Okay

 

Rey buried her face in the couch cushion, squealing, while in another apartment Kylo sat in a daze as Poe cheered.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Rey whimpered, her head falling to the side as Kylo kissed at her neck, his wide hands splayed over her hip and lower back as her hands fisted in his shirt.

 

To say the date had gone well would be an understatement. Kylo had picked her up on time, dressed nicely in a button up and slim jeans, taken her to a nice but not fancy restaurant, and had been…. sweet. Adorably awkward like a too large puppy, oddly shy for his usual behavior, hesitant of spooking her as he tried to seem smaller. Rey could only assume he was shaken by her seeing his episode, and was nervous of her judgement.

 

For her part, she had worn a simple but nice dress with dressy flats because she didn’t own heels, and could tell she was being more shy than usual, but it matched Kylo’s so she went with it. Rey wasn’t a blushing girl, but everytime he lifted his head from his plate and gave her that uncertain smile, she felt her face get warm and she had to look down at her own food. But she couldn’t name what they ate if someone offered her a thousand dollars.

 

And then, then he had very casually asked if she wanted to come back to his place and use the big new entertainment center, and she had agreed. But five minutes into the opening scene, he had shifted closer, slowly moving his arm across the back of the couch. Within another twenty minutes they were kissing.

 

She gasped as he eased her back against the couch, his weight carefully bracing over her but his chest pressing into hers just enough to make her catch her breath as her skin tightened. He faintly smelled like hot clean laundry and that mix of man and cologne that it made her already fluttering stomach clench in arousal.

 

But then he pulled back sweeping his hair away from his face, and looked down at her. “Are you… Is this okay?”

 

Rey blinked then smiled, reaching up to card her fingers through his hair, watching as his eyes closed and his head followed her hands like a cat, “Yes.”

 

“Oh thank god…” He grumbled, his mouth dropping back to hers, pulling away to speak in between kisses and suckling nibbles. “You are so… Perfect…. And scary.” He nuzzled into her neck, his weight settling more firmly against her as his hips pressed to her thighs and she felt his hard length. “Terrifying…”

 

“Me?”

 

He laughed, nodding. “Yeah, you are scary, Rey.” His thumb rubbed over her jaw under her ear, “You are smart and tough and so fucking beautiful.”

 

She gaped, blushing and darting her eyes away to glance down at her too scrawny frame, too much wiry muscle and not enough breast or softness. “No, no I’m not-” 

 

“Don’t. Don’t do that.” Kylo gently squeezed the side of her neck. “You are.”

 

Rey closed her eyes, arching into the sensation of his hand, pressure and scratchy calluses, and Kylo huffed against her ear. “Let me take off your dress. I’ll show you how perfect you are.”

 

Rey shuddered, then nodded. Before she knew what was happening, his arms were lifting her, dizzy and disoriented and she found herself splayed on the big bed she had helped him pick out, his hot palms stroking down her legs to push her shoes off, then skimming up her sides to find how to get her out of the dress. She squirmed, letting him find the zipper, and shivered as he pulled it away and cool air hit her overheated skin.

 

Then his hands left her body and she looked up in confusion, watching as he stepped back, working on his own clothes. His shirt fell away, revealing the same chest she had seen for the first time months ago, but now it had a different effect on her. Before he had been disgusting and offensively masculine, aggressive. Now he was… He was Kylo.

 

Kylo with abs that she could wash clothes on, hips cut from marble, and a chest broad enough to sit on. And that was what she wanted to do now. As he slipped his pants down his legs, Rey pushed up onto her knees at the edge of his bed, reaching for him.

 

He kicked away his pants and boxers and came into her arms without a moment, catching his arms around her waist and kissing her like he was starving for her. But when he started to crawl on the bed with her, she shook her head. “On your back.”

 

His eyes widened, and a grin started to slip onto his mouth but he held it back. “You want to be on top, Angel?”

 

She nodded, and he smirked, his regular confidence returning as he shifted and lounged back, adjusting the pillow behind his head. He watched with a smile, then an arched questioning eyebrow as she crawled past his cock and further up his body until her thighs brackets his chest, her knees near his armpits, and her core resting on his chest.

 

“Make me come for you Kylo…”

 

Now both his eyebrows climbed his forehead and his grin spread. “Like this?” Both arms shifted, his body bunching as his elbows bent up until his hands could reach her cunt, one in front thumb on her clit and the other from behind, his fingers questing for her entrance. She nodded and he chuckled. “Sure thing, Angel. I’m gonna make you fall apart...”

 

Licking her lips, Rey nodded, rocking her hips forward and he took that as the sign that she was ready, his thumb pressed on her clit as a finger pushed into her, the shallow penetration more teasing than anything.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kylo stared up at her in awe. Rey was a wet dream, straddling his chest with her tanned and muscled thighs, her flat abdomen curving with slim hips and a mouthful of breasts, all of her firm and tight and sleek, leading up to her face. Her eyes were foggy, looking at him with desire he hadn’t seen or even dreamed of in years, her face soft as her teeth nibbled her lip.

 

His fingers were in heaven, where he wanted his cock to be, but he would prove himself to her, prove he could please her anyway she asked. And he could see so much of her it was easy to judge her reactions, her body so responsive to him he could tell every touch she liked and hear every sound she made.

 

She was so hot and wet, the slick of her coating his fingers and he could feel it pooling on his chest, the very thought of it making him harder than he thought he could ever be, the bud of her clit firm and swollen as he rolled his thumb over it, delighted as her back hunched over him and she whimpered.

 

He grit his teeth, shifting and lifting his whole body with his heels and shoulders, bucking her up so that she fell against him, gasping as her small hands caught on his shoulders. “I want to feel you. Hold on...”

 

She panted against his neck, her soft breaths making him feel more complete than he had in years, since his accident that left him scarred, the new position letting him slide a finger deeper into her warmth. She was tight on his finger and the sound she made, half moan half gasp, had him thrusting and twisting his faster than he intended, desperate to feel her and please her.

 

He growled, forcing himself to slow down, but then she whispered in his ear, “Don’t stop,” and Kylo wouldn't disappoint her.

 

He paused, slipping a second finger into her, “I’ve got you, I’m gonna make you scream for me, and then I’m gonna fuck you into this mattress,” and started thrusting hard and fast, his wrist burning as he pleasured her. 

 

She whimpered, and for a moment he thought he was hurting her. But then she moaned his name, tightened on his fingers and bucked, unraveling as her orgasm rolled through her.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Rey came back to herself as he was showering kisses down her neck and rolling them over, ber body loose and boneless for him as he crawled over her and settled himself between her thighs. Shocked she had any coherent thoughts, she whispered, “Condom?” and he nodded, showing her the package already in his hand.

 

There was a crinkle of fabric and than his fingers stroking, finding her cunt and guiding the blunt head of his cock into her. She had seen him, knew he was big, but her body was so relaxed after her orgasm, she expected him to slide in without much trouble. But had misjudged his size apparently. There was a push, pressure, and then a stretch she had never felt before, making her whine.

 

He stopped, kissing her ear and whispering a question, and she nodded. She was okay, but wow. “Go slow.”

 

Kylo grinned against her skin, and her eyes drifted closed as his broad hands held her hips in place. He pushed, sinking in and spreading her, the ache of filling and stretching was so good and so sore, like trying to do a yoga move she saw on the internet, but in her vagina instead of her hamstrings. Grunting, he pushed deeper, and Rey could hardly believe there was more of him, certain he must be impossibly deep in her now. It was another few pushes, each feeling tighter than the last, her body trying to squirm away as they both panted.

 

“Almost there, Angel. I know you can take me.” He grinned against her hairline, “You look so good taking my cock.”

 

Rey bit her lip and his hips snapped, the last few inches shoving deep and Rey yelped, fingers digging into the skin of his back and he held still as she adjusted.

 

“Jesus Kylo,” Rey grinned after a moment, her core relaxing after a few long moments of tense twitching and wriggling. “Why are you single?”

 

He nipped her neck, his voice a bit higher pitched than normal but somehow still chuckling. “I’m told I’m a scarred asshole most of the time, and when I’m not, I’m just scarred.”

 

Rey blinked. She had nearly forgotten his scars, and her head pulled back to look at him more fully, her eyes tracing the long jagged one that ran down his forehead, over his eye and cheek, and cut his delicious jawline. Her thumb touched the edge of it and he must had seen something in her eyes because he leaned in and rubbed his nose over her cheek. “God, did you forget I had that one?”

 

Rey grimaced, glancing away sheepishly and he smiled, one of the few real smiles she had seen. “Perfect girl.” Then, without another word, he started a slow rolling thrust that had her back arching.

 

The slow drag of him followed by the smooth immediate thrust into her was making Rey lose her mind. Her body was possessed by some sort of lusty demon, eating up the pleasure and moaning for more, her nails digging into his skin as her thighs wrapped around his hips and her body writhed.

 

His voice was thick, strained and panting in her ear as he spoke, mixing praise and encouragement, words like ‘ _ perfect girl’ _ and ‘ _ you’re heaven’ _ and ‘ _ so tight, my Angel.’ _

 

It was too much, she could feel how close he was in the roughness of his movements as he began to piston her down into the bed instead of fucking into her, his body curving his big broad back over her, arms stiff and his skin flushed as he strained and groaned. “Come for me. Come on my cock, my perfect Angel.”

 

Rey whimpered and fell into it, feeling her brain go hot and dark as her body lit up like Christmas. “KYLO!”

 

She could vaguely feel him following her, but she was so caught up in her own pleasure that seemed to go on and on, unable to focus on watching him fall apart above her or feel the stuttering thrusts in her, only aware that she couldn’t seem to stop until he slumped over her. His hot chest pressed to her breasts, both of them damp with sweat. It took a moment for him to gather his own energy before he heaved his bulk to the side, tossed the condom in the trash, and immediately hauling her against him again.

 

Despite the sticky feeling of sweat cooling on their skin and gluing them together, Rey quickly and happily fell asleep in his arms, his fingers running up and down her spine soothingly.

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of this journey has a bit of anger, a bit of sweetness, and a lot of love and sex.

 

When Rey woke up she was alone, but she could hear talking in the living room so she didn’t think he had run out on her. And she was in his apartment after all. So she grabbed Kylo’s button up from the night before and put it on with a pair of boxers from his drawer. Peeking out, she saw him talking to a redheaded man next to the couch, distracted for a moment by how good he looked in nothing but a loose pair of sweatpants, and stood in the doorway, unsure if she should stay hidden or not.

 

But Kylo saw her and his face broke with a smile as he motioned her over. “Hux, this is Rey. Rey, this is Armitage Hux, from First Order Flight Co.”

 

Kylo’s first indication that something was wrong was when Hux didn’t greet Rey. Instead he sneered and diverted his eyes. The next words sealed his fate. “Really, Kylo, must you slum it with this trash? FOF has enough recognition you could easily get better.”

 

A familiar stillness settled over his skin, a feeling he hadn’t had since he left that unnameable desert years ago. A cold that had filled him last when he took his last life. He could feel the stiff discomfort of Rey, her body rigid under the arm he had slung around her shoulders, her sweet shy smile gone. “Rey’s my girlfriend.” Sure, they hadn’t talked about calling it that, but right now wasn’t the time when he would ask her if it was okay.

 

Now Hux rolled his eyes. “Kylo, I looked into her when you first started acting strange. Please tell me you haven’t done anything stupid like, knock her up.” His distaste for the idea was clear in his tone and the way his lips formed around the words, as if something from a sewer had found it’s way into his mouth. “She is trash. Not the kind of girl you should be dating if you want to follow Snoke’s plan and become head of the division.”

 

His body tightened, and the way Rey’s hand gripped at his lower back told him she could sense his aggression, so he tried to relax. For her. “Fine. I quit. Now get out.”

 

Rey’s head whipped up to look at him from where she had been staring at her bare toes, her mouth dropping open. Hux was gaping as well, before he started sputtering. “Wha- You can’t just quit! You have a contract!”

 

“Try me.” Kylo pulled his arm from around Rey and roughly grabbed the shoulder of Hux’s jacket, hauling him towards the door, feeling how his muscles bunched and readied for a fight, but the slimmer man just tripped and let himself be dragged. “Now get out.”

 

“I’ll tell Snoke! He’ll cut off your finances and then you will be right back where we found you, drinking yourself to-”

 

The door slamming in his face cut off the tirade, and Kylo leaned his head against it for a moment before turning to look at Rey, who was understandably shocked. “Are you okay?”

 

She blinked up at him, her hands resting on his forearms as he wrapped his hands over her waist. “Am I okay? Are YOU okay?”

 

He shrugged, more concerned with how she was taking Hux’s words. “You know he’s wrong right? You are so perfect and nothing he said was true. You are everything good.”

 

Her face twisted into a frown as her hand lifted to slap his chest. “Are you really going to be in trouble for being with me? You just signed the lease on this place!”

 

For the first time in years, Kylo thought things were going to be alright. He felt lighter, not as weighed down by the past. Scooping her up against him he grinned. “Rey, I don’t need money from Snoke, no matter what he thinks.” Striding towards the bedroom, he kissed her cheek. “Now you get back in bed so I can make breakfast. When I come back, I’m stripping this shirt off you. You look so sexy in my clothes.”

 

He flopped her onto the bed, ignoring the foot she tossed at him in a half-hearted kick. “KYLO!”

 

He winked as he walked out the door. “Call me Ben. I want to be Ben for you Rey.”

 

As he predicted, she didn’t stay in bed, instead following him out. But instead of the host of questions he expected, unaware that Poe had told Rey some of his past and not remembering much of the night he had an episode, she wrapped her arms around him, her face pressed to his back. “Okay… But you have to let me help with breakfast.”

 

Kylo…. Ben… Laughed for the first time, the first real time in years.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“So, you are telling me your parents OWN Rebel Airways?” Rey stared at Kylo as he traced idle patterns on her belly, both of them naked and sprawled in his bed again. “The flight company Poe works for and that Finn is dying to get a job at when he graduates?”

 

His dark head nodded, kissing at her ribcage, but not saying anything.

 

Threading a hand through his hair she tugged at the silky strands until he looked up at her. “Why in the world did you work for FO anyway?”

 

He heaved himself up next to her, stretching out on his back and Rey would never admit it, but the king sized bed had been the right choice based on their activities and how much room he took up right now. Staring at the ceiling he spoke slowly, and it was Rey’s turn to roll to her side and stroke a hand over his skin as he spoke. “Me and my dad… Things have always been…” His face scrunched in that oddly cute oddly wolfish way he had as he thought of the words he wanted. “We didn’t get along. Never have. Weird since we have so much in common, but my mom… She always said we were too alike and that was why we fought.”

 

He shrugged and Rey didn’t say anything, not rushing him, just letting him talk as she nestled closer. “We haven’t talked in a few years, but they never cut off my trust fund.” When her eyes widened and her brows nearly hit her hair, he rolled his eyes. “Don’t ask.” Rey blinked at him, locking that away to ask another time and shook her head in an effort to stay focused. “But…” His breath huffed as his chest expanded and dropped quickly. “I’m not the kind of guy who can just sit around and do nothing, living off money I didn’t earn.”

 

“And First Order came along and offered to let you work?”

 

He sighed, “Yeah. I could do the things I liked about being in the military; the flying, the tech, the physical challenge of it…” It was unsaid but he also got to avoid the bad things he didn’t want to do, and Rey didn’t ask, only crawling practically on top of him, her face pressed to his neck, until he chuckled.

 

Wrapping his arms around her, Ben kissed her forehead. It was weird to think of him as Ben when she had known him as Kylo for so many months, but at the same time, in this moment with him smiling and kissing her head, it was easy. “What are you going to do now?”

 

“Well… I could always go to RA. My parents want me to come home but Snoke never really wanted me to reconcile. It was easier to ignore them.” His hand drifted down to rub her bottom and Rey could feel him getting hard against her hip, for what was the third time today, and Rey giggled. “Or I could find another flight company. Shouldn’t be hard.” When he said hard, he squeezed and rolled over her.

 

Rey squealed, playfully squirming and wrestling with him as he got the condom and nibbled at her neck, then sighed in pleasure as he pushed into her. “Beeeeennnn….”

 

“God yes, Angel, what do you need?” He huffed, thrusting slowly and gently.

 

“Harder!”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

**_~Two years later~_ **

 

Ben stared up at the sky watching for the plane carrying his father and his girlfriend. He was nervous.

 

He and Poe had graduated, and without Snoke at the lead of FOF, they were willing to let him out of his contracts as long as he paid back the money for his certifications and schooling within a year, which had been easily accomplished. With Rey and Poe’s urging, he had reunited with his family and things had settled into a steady if not perfect routine. His dad liked Rey more than he liked Ben, and he was okay with that. Not being the focus of his father’s attention seemed to be beneficial for their relationship, and Rey being the focus didn’t bring up the feeling of jealousy that Poe did.

 

He was in therapy, which also helped, so he could talk about things with Rey and his family, and the things he couldn’t talk about with them, he could with Poe or his therapist. Poe had moved out of the apartment a month after they graduated and Rey had moved in, just like his friend had planned.

 

And now, Rey and Finn had graduated. Finn had been hired and this was Rey’s last test, which she was sure to pass with flying colors.

 

And then, tonight at dinner, he was going to give her the ring he had bought, along with the chain so she could wear it around her neck when she was working in an engine.


End file.
